


If Tomorrow Never Comes

by pure_ecstasy6



Category: The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-05
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2020-01-05 04:16:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 55,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18358445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pure_ecstasy6/pseuds/pure_ecstasy6
Summary: After an economic crisis collapse in America the "New Founding Fathers of America" are voted into the Political Parties in Office and in-turn have the majority vote for a "self-cleansing" night called "The Purge" where all crime is Legal for 12 hours one night every year since commencing in 2007 that rattles the country and the world.Tonight is the third "Annual Purge" and it's expected to be bigger than ever. It's also the night where the Priestly's lives are changed forever.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The chapters touch on abuse, sexual and physical, but it's not graphic. Only mentioned.

~*~

**Present Day.**

**March 25th, 2010.**

**The outskirts of New York City.**

 

Miranda impatiently waited in line at the gas station on the outskirts of Manhattan. It was a small little town, and one that she frequented a lot when she and the girls headed up to their cabins. She checked she had the main things she knew they needed in her shopping bag before she walked over to the counter, however there was a long line. At least six people.

 

Sighing Miranda knew it would be a while until she could get out of here which was quite unacceptable. She needed to get the girls and herself to their cabin quick smart. She watched as Larry Harrison the 70 year old gas store owner took his time as usual chatting to his customers. Any other day Miranda would not have cared about the wait, but today wasn't your ordinary day.

 

Today was the third annual purging. The traditional night once a year when all crime became legal.

 

It made her sick to the stomach thinking about it. She had no idea how and why the economic collapse resulted in a Totalitarian political party getting voted into the United States of America political office that gun-loving lunatics could vote for to try and take over the countries Government and in the process managed to over-ride the White House and create this new "Monumental Night" of "self-cleansing" all thanks to the New Founding Fathers of America. George Washington must surely be rolling in his Grave. 

 

The Runway Editor tapped her foot impatiently on the floor feeling a little like an impatient child wanting that second piece of chocolate cake. She glanced out the gas station window to the black SUV where her twin daughters, Caroline and Cassidy, were patiently waiting for her, no doubt listening to their favourite pop music. She looked down at her watch. 4:45PM. Seventy five minutes until the Purge began which meant only sixty minutes to get her and her girls locked away in the safety of their cabin.

 

Having had enough of waiting in this slow moving line Miranda walked around the people and up to the counter. She pulled out her Prada wallet, and grabbed out a handful of dollar notes, handing them over to Larry.

 

"Hey! No cutting the line, lady!" A burly man second in line said, shoving her away.

 

Miranda didn't even look at him as Larry took the money and looked at her with wide eyes. "Keep the change." she muttered before leaving the gas station mini mart. She stopped mid-step when she felt someone come up beside her from behind before she felt a sharp jab in the side of her body. She glanced down and took a deep breath when she saw a hand gun held at her side. Before she could speak the other person did.

 

"Do as I say and no one will get hurt."

 

The alien voice informed Miranda as she was pushed towards the SUV. "How can I take your word for that?" she demanded.

 

"You just have to."

 

"You'll scare my daughters if they see you with that monstrosity on." Miranda responded, staring at the masked person.

 

The person chuckled. "Get in!" was said before the driver's side door opened and Miranda was pushed inside.

 

Miranda sat in the car as she watched the person who was wearing a baggy hoodie and baggy Nike sweatpants. The passenger door opened and Miranda kept her eyes straight. "What do you want?" she demanded as she felt for her cell phone to call for help, but as she searched her pockets she couldn't feel it. The damned person had pick-pocketed from her. She was not going to panic. Surely this person wouldn't be crazy enough to pull a violent act on her in broad daylight two hours before the Annual Purge began. Whatever the masked person wanted was making them act desperately.

 

"Drive."

 

"I'm not going anywhere until you take that thing off and look me in the eyes." Miranda said.

 

The Runway Editor heard a sigh before a shuffling and she turned to stare at her intruder, and opened her mouth to speak again, but when she set eyes on the familiar person she snapped her mouth back shut. She was taken by complete and utter surprise and she had no idea what to say or do.

 

Caroline and Cassidy who had been too preoccupied with their laptops and head phones on listening to Lady Gaga and Katy Perry decided to look up upon realising that the car was still in a stationary position and there was someone sitting in the passenger seat.

 

Caroline shut her laptop and leaned forward and her eyes widened. "You!" she said.

 

Cassidy's interest spiked and she too leaned forward. "Oh my god, Andy!"

 

"What are you doing here?!" Caroline asked.

 

"Yeah! You shouldn't be out here on your own when the Purge is about to commence." Cassidy said. "Too scary to be outside."

 

"Seriously, why are you here?" Caroline asked searching the brown eyes. "Mom didn't say we were meeting you."

 

"We ran into each other, and your lovely mother here offered me to stay with you guys for the night." Andy replied.

 

Miranda's mouth dropped open. "I did-" she started, but was cut off by Andrea giving her a warning look and showing her the gun that she still held, but was out of sight from Caroline and Cassidy. She swallowed hard. "That's right, bobbsey's. Andrea will be staying with us until the morning."

 

"Cool!"

 

"Awesome!"

 

Came the response from her daughters. She had always known Andrea had been a big hit with them, but now she wondered why and how she could have allowed this woman into their lives in the first place. Crazy ex-assistants were a normal thing for Miranda Priestly it seemed these days.

 

"Who's that snoring?" Andy asked.

 

"Patricia." Caroline replied, and at that Patricia woke up from her light slumber and her head popped up from behind where the twins were sitting.

 

"Good." Andy said.

 

"Why's that good?" Caroline asked in confusion.

 

"Andrea thought there might have been someone else with us." Miranda said seeing the relief on Andrea's face.

 

Caroline and Cassidy scrunched their face in confusion. "Like who? Mom doesn't have a boyfriend." Cassidy said.

 

"Cassidy." Miranda said in embarrassment.

 

"Sorry." Cassidy replied knowing of how much her mom hated talking about how single she was.

 

"Girls, please continue with what you were doing. Andrea and I need to have a chat." Miranda said, turning to look at her daughters with a look that said do not argue with me.

 

Caroline and Cassidy both shrugged and popped their Sennheiser headphones back on and their music began again. She would definitely be need to have a talk with them about how loud they played their music and if they wanted to be deaf by the time they turned thirty.

 

"Turn the engine on and start driving." Andy said.

 

Miranda did so, and when the Mercedes Benz SUV was back on the road she turned to Andrea. "What do you want from me?" she questioned, but before she could give Andrea a chance to reply she continued. "I give you a glowing review, for which I've never done to a selfish assistant who thought she was better than me and walked away from me in the busiest week of my working life, and now you're threatening me with that?" she asked, looking down at the gun.

 

"What? Oh, this." Andy replied laughingly and shook the gun. "Don't worry. I don't plan on hurting you, Miranda, I'm not a killer." she said as she released the bottom of the gun and showed Miranda that it was empty.

 

Miranda breathed a sigh of relief as she concentrated on the road ahead. She was currently stuck behind a slow driver, and this would not do. She spotted a car coming towards them on the left side of the road, but they were a while off yet so she threw the car into fifth gear and pulled out and sped past the ugly ford truck that had been put along. "I will ask again, what do you want from me?"

 

"Well, in my defence you didn't give me a chance to reply to your question before." Andy said.

 

"Answer it now then!" Miranda snapped as she slowed down as she was back on the right side of the road.

 

"I could think of a few things you could do for me." Andy murmured suggestively.

 

Miranda's mouth went dry. The woman had to be crazy to pull the stunt she just did with a monstrous mask and a gun to now be making playful comments. But the thing was Miranda wasn't turned off even though she would have been if it had of been someone different in the car. With Andrea though there had always been something that had attracted Miranda's attention. She turned to stare at the brunette and caught her staring at her cleavage before quickly turning away at being caught. Miranda smirked, and bit her lip, before realising the situation she was in having an uninvited ex-assistant in the car with her and her daughters who had a gun. She ignored the flow of arousal the woman had caused to rush through Miranda by that one glance at her cleavage before continuing to talk ignoring what Andrea had said.

 

"Money or another job reference?"

 

Andy shook her head. "I have enough money to get by, and I don't need a job recommendation as you already gave me one and now I have a really great job doing what I love." she responded as she watched Miranda concentrate on the road again. "What I need from you is to allow me to let me stay with you for the night at the cabin as I cannot stay around where we just were."

 

"How do you know about my cabin? No one, but Emily and Eric knows about it." Miranda responded.

 

"I have my ways." Andy said.

 

"How?" Miranda asked again.

 

"I hacked your laptop. You really should have better protection." Andy responded.

 

Miranda's eyes widened. "You... hacked... my computer?!" she could not believe her ears.

 

"Yes. It was very easy." Andy said. "But don't worry, when I accidentally opened your "DONT ENTER" folder I very quickly clicked out, but you really should have a pass-code for that one. You'd hate for the public to see what's in there."

 

Miranda turned a shade of deep red. "You bitch." she said and turned to stare at Andrea. "You're going to blackmail me? After all I did for you?!"

 

Andy held her hands up in defence. "Did I say I was going to do that?" she asked. "No, I didn't. I simply thought I should be upfront about what I accidentally saw."

 

"Oh, stop with the bullshitting. I know you, Andrea; your curiosity would have gotten the better of you. You didn't accidentally click into it because as you said the folder is pretty clear with its "DON'T ENTER" name." Miranda said.

 

Andy chuckled. "Alright, you busted me, but I didn't watch any of the videos. That would have been crossing an even bigger line, but I'm just saying you need to get a pass-code onto those or take them off and put them on a hard drive that no one can ever find."

 

"I can't believe what I'm hearing." Miranda said and shook her head. "Just stop talking!"

 

Andy sat back. "Okay, okay."

 

They sat there in silence until not even five minutes had passed and Andrea was tapping her hand along to a Lady Gaga song that was playing in the back of the car. "Why do you need to stay the night? What are you hiding from?" she questioned, not able to keep the concerned tone from her voice.

 

"It's a long story." Andy replied.

 

Miranda sighed. "Fine. Just at least give me the decency and tell me that whatever it is you won't be inviting them into my bunker and endangering my girl’s lives."

 

"Miranda, I wouldn't intentionally put any of you in danger." Andy said looking into Miranda's eyes. "Please believe me."

 

"I don't know why, but I do." Miranda said a couple seconds later. "You will explain to me what this is all about though later." she said and was glad to see Andrea nod.

 

"I will. Just not now, please." Andy said, looking back at the girls. "Now's not the appropriate time."

 

"Now's not the appropriate time." What on earth was that supposed to mean she wondered to herself, and it was half an hour later when she saw Andrea stretch her arms which caused Andrea's wrists to be exposed from the god awful hoodie and her eyes widened when she spotted a nasty red bruise that went around the entire wrist of Andrea's left arm. The brunette sensed Miranda watching her closely and when she realised that her wrist was showing she quickly pulled the sweater back down and avoided Miranda's eyes whilst absentmindedly rubbing said wrist.

 

Miranda swallowed hard as the realisation dawned on her. Andrea was running away from someone who has been abusing her, and Miranda wouldn't be surprised if it's been happening since the first night of the Annual Purge. Everything was fucked up in this life now. But who would be doing this to Andrea? The woman didn't have a bad bone in her.

 

"I can hear your brain from here." Andy said.

 

Miranda turned to Andrea. "What?"

 

"You're wondering what's going on with me." Andy said. "But please don't ask me right now."

 

"I wasn't going to." Miranda replied. "I know you don't want to talk about it right now and I'm going to respect that." she said. "What I was about to say is that we are here."

 

"Oh." Andy replied not having realised the car had hit lose gravel road and they were getting closer and closer to, "a shack?!" she said in shock as the car came to a stop behind said shack out of view from the drive way.

 

The Priestly's got out of the car and Andy quickly did the same thing and stood to stare at the run down shake that did not look liveable at all. "I'm confused."

 

"You'll see." Cassidy whispered before skipping after her mom. "It's all about the facade!"

 

Andy wasn't too sure how that could be, but she followed the Priestly's anyhow. The Runway Editor unlocked the rickety door and they entered the derelict shack, Andy looked over her shoulder to make sure there was no suspicious activity.

 

"We weren't followed."

 

Miranda's voice murmured into her ear.

 

Andy turned her head to see the other woman beside her, their faces nearly touching that Andy could feel Miranda's breath on her face. Her breath smelt amazing, a mixture of peppermint and chocolate.

 

"Try anything that puts my daughters in harm's way and I won't hesitate to kick you back out there." The editor murmured eyes as serious as murder.

 

Andy held up her hands. "Like I told you, gorgeous, I don't plan on hurting you or your daughters."

 

Miranda simply blinked at the word of endearment. She nodded. "Prove it."

 

Andy sighed, and grabbed her four calibre gun from the back of her jeans, and the box of bullets from her duffel bag, handing them over to Miranda. "Believe me now?" she murmured.

 

"Still deciding." Miranda responded, putting the gun and bullets in her hand bag, before closing the shack door and they were enveloped in darkness as all the windows were covered up with wood. She walked away from said door. "Do keep up. You don't want to get locked out now since you've come this far."

 

Andy raised her eyebrows and threw her duffel bag over her shoulder and quickly caught up with the editor. In the darkness she could make out Caroline and Cassidy standing with dim torches at the back of the room.

 

"They hate the dark." Miranda murmured to Andrea who was standing next to her again.

 

"No wonder especially in here. It's creepy." Andy whispered her reply just before she realised what the twins were standing in front of as they shone their torches on the back wall. It was a photograph of Whistlers Mother. "Wow." she breathed. She'd never seen this painting in person.

 

"It's a rip off, but still beautiful." Miranda murmured before stepping forward.

 

"Oh, of course, why would you want the real thing in this dump?" Andy asked. "It wouldn't get the appreciation it deserved." she added as she watched Miranda removed a piece of wood from the wall besides the painting and placed her hand over a glass sensor type thing. It glowed red as it read Miranda's hand print before turning green and beeping before the photo frame on the wall opened up like a door. Miranda put the wood back in place before motioning Caroline and Cassidy to enter.

 

Miranda clicked her tongue, and Andy got the gist quickly, and followed the twins as she heard the heavy door close behind them and another beeping noise. The staircase was then illuminated with light, and the twins turned off their torches, as they continued down the winding staircase.

 

When they reached the bottom floor Andy's eye's widened and her jaw literally dropped.

 

"Oh, woah." Andy said as her eyes scanned the large area. To her right was an incredible kitchen, all stainless steel and the best kitchen ware you could buy, a gorgeous island counter with three stools, a stove top on one side and room for people to sit at on the other side, and there was a dining table a few steps away from that. It looked like the table was made out of oak and it was glorious so much so that she just wanted to run her hand along it. Near said oak table was a door that she thought could lead to a bedroom. Pretty much right in front of her there was a pool table, and to the left there was a small lounge room with an awesome flat screen T.V. and an L shaped couch, and she could see an Xbox and a PS3, on the other side past the couch was what looked to be a foosball table, and possibly air hockey, and then on the back wall there was a basketball hoop with an actual basketball floor, and then a few steps to the left on that wall there was a huge bookcase with DVDs and books, and next to that on the right was a door that Andy assumed must lead to another bedroom. It was an absolutely amazing set-up, and must have cost a fortune.

 

"This is... wow!" Andy said as she stared at the large are around her. "I can't even begin to imagine how much this set you back."

 

"Not much, actually. I've saved a lot since working at Runway." Miranda responded as she set her overnight Louis Vuitton bag near the staircase. "Plus I'm quite experienced in casino's." she murmured as Caroline and Cassidy rushed into their shared bedroom.

 

Andy turned to her with raised eyebrows. "Really?"

 

Miranda simply smirked. "So, that helped. Also my first husband is one of the country’s most sought after investors." she continued not sure as to why she was explaining her finances with Andrea. However there was something about the brunette that had always put her at ease. Usually on this night of the year Miranda was a huge stress ball, but the other woman was keeping her on her toes even though she knew nothing about Andrea's situation.

 

All Andy could picture was Miranda in a casino ruling the whole room. God, what a sight that would be.

 

Miranda cleared her throat and drew Andrea out of her thoughts. "There's a spare room through that door, and everything you'll need for the night is available in the bathroom."

 

"Thank you, Miranda, I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you for your kindness." Andy responded.

 

Miranda waved Andrea's words away. "What would you girls like for dinner?" she asked her daughters.

 

"Mac N Cheese!!!" Caroline announced.

 

"Yeah!!! And Roasted cauliflower!" Cassidy said.

 

"Alright, I can do that." Miranda said and tried to decide what meat she would like to go with it. Red or white, that was the question. As much of a steak lover she was, she decided to go with white. "Andrea, I have a feeling you might be a Buffalo chicken lover, am I right?"

 

"You guessed it." Andy replied. "How'd you know?"

 

"The walls can talk in Runway." Miranda murmured before turning around, smiling, and wandered into the kitchen. "That's settled then, Buffalo chicken with roasted cauliflower and macaroni and cheese."

 

"Sounds delicious." Andy replied, and the thought of Miranda making it all from scratch made her heart flutter. She had always been able to picture Miranda in the kitchen, but never did know if the Runway Editor enjoyed to cook. Not only did she have her answer, but she would also be lucky enough to witness Miranda Priestly cooking up a feast.

 

Miranda opened the stainless steel fridge. "Would anyone like a drink?" she questioned as she perused the contents in the fridge.

 

"Lemonade, please." Caroline said.

 

"Orange Juice with Pellegrino." Cassidy said.

 

"And you Andrea?" Miranda asked looking at Andrea with a raised eyebrow.

 

"Whatever you're having is fine." Andy replied as she opened the spare room door and placed her duffle bag inside before taking a seat at the island counter.

 

Miranda simply nodded and poured two tall glasses of Pellegrino and handed one to Andrea before getting her daughters their drinks and returning to the kitchen and propping herself up on one of the kitchen stools with a sigh. It had been a long day and she was glad they were finally safe and secure in their bunker. She was glad that Andrea simply sat down on the opposite stool and remained quiet whilst they sipped their drinks.

 

"How old are you?" Caroline asked as she stared at Andy from where she knelt on the sofa, her arms resting over the back of said sofa as she studied the brunette woman.

 

"Caroline!" Miranda said, shocked by her daughter asking such a rude question.

 

"No, it's alright." Andy replied chuckling. "I'm 25. 26 in July."

 

Caroline saw Andy look at her mom after saying that to see if there was a reaction of some sort from her, but her mom didn't even blink. "Is your star sign Cancer?"

 

Andy nodded.

 

"That's our star sign!" Cassidy chimed in.

 

"Really? That's so cool!" Andy responded.

 

"Mom is a Pisces." Caroline said then.

 

"Yeah, I knew that." Andy replied, smiling.

 

"You know I read somewhere that cancer and Pisces are a good match." Caroline said.

 

Miranda's eyes widened. She had no idea what her daughter was playing at. "I'm not sure why you would say that, Caroline." she said, giving her daughter a warning look.

 

Caroline shrugged. "I'm just saying!" she responded before turning around with a huff and grabbed the TV remote that was on the coffee table and began flicking through the channels to see if there was anything decent on to watch. She settled for "The Vampire Diaries" a show she and Cassidy quite enjoyed.

 

"Awesome, Vampire Diaries!" Cassidy said excitedly when she saw the show and went to sit next to her sister.

 

"Yeah, but it's already been on for like twenty minutes." Caroline said.

 

"We've already seen it anyway, and this isn't the best of episodes." Cassidy replied.

 

"Well, at least that will keep them amused for the next half hour." Miranda replied looking down at her watch. They had forty five minutes until the Annual Purge commenced. "I still don't know why they insist of watching such a show." she added with a roll of her eyes.

 

"Oh, I quite enjoy it myself." Andy said and at the look the Runway Editor gave her she couldn't help but start laughing. "Calm down, I was joking." she said as she followed Miranda into the kitchen area. "These days I don't seem to find the time to sit down and indulge in TV shows. Work has been real busy lately."

 

"I've read some of your work." Miranda said. "It's good to see your talents have been put to good use."

 

Andy hadn't been expecting Miranda to say that. "Um, thank you, Miranda, that's kind of you to say."

 

A couple minutes later she watched as Andrea took her phone out of her pocket. "Oh, I forgot to tell you that we don't get signal down here." she said, and continued. "But if you really need to get a call out you can go up into the shack, you should get a couple bars there."

 

"That would be good, if possible, as I really should call home and let them know where I am." Andy said.

 

Miranda paused, her drink half way to her mouth. Home, of course, Andrea had a family now. "Of course, you can call that cook-boy of yours upstairs."

 

"Oh." Andy said. "No. We broke up three years ago. I just need to call my parents."

 

Miranda felt infinitely better then. Andrea meant home as in her childhood home in "Ohio, is it, where you're from?" she asked as she led Andrea back up the staircase and unlocked the heavy metal door.

 

"I hail from Cincinnati." Andy responded. "Small town, population is 116. We have a ranch outside of town."

 

"I can't even imagine what that would be like living in such a small area." Miranda murmured. "But I'm sure it would have been pleasant."

 

"It is, definitely. It's nice knowing that you know everyone unlike Manhattan where you're strangers roaming around. It took me a while to get used to that." Andy responded as she stepped out into the dark shack and tapped her phone and the screen lit up just as a couple of messages came through. One from her sister, and one from her mom. She chuckled at her sisters before typing off a quick reply and then calling her mom who had tried ringing her twice. It went to voice mail and she looked at the time. Her mom would be driving back from work. She left a message. "Hey ma, just letting you know that I ran into an old friend and I'm with her Upstate, and I'm safe and sound. I won't have any signal for the rest of the night though so I'll give you a buzz in the morning to check in. Try to enjoy yourself tonight for once, yeah? Alright, talk later, love you, bye."

 

"An old friend?" Miranda asked, raised eyebrows, as she pushed the door open again having tried to give Andrea some privacy.

 

Andy laughed. "Well, you kind of were a friend. I mean, I knew everything about you."

 

"Everything?" Miranda asked.

 

Andy blushed. "Well, not everything, but well..." she trailed off. She really did know how to put her foot in her mouth.

 

"Relax, Andrea, I was stirring you." Miranda replied as the brunette brushed past her and she bit her lip as Andrea's perfume filled her nose.

 

"Oh, okay." Andy replied. She had a feeling tonight was going to be a very interesting night and she would see a completely different side to Miranda Priestly.

 

"One thing about me these days is that I leave La Priestly at the office." Miranda continued.

 

"Oh." Andy replied.

 

"Mmm. The girls told me that if I didn't change my attitude at home then they wanted to go live with Dad who is I quote, cool and doesn't lash out at us at the smallest of things, and so I had to have a good hard look at myself and my life and decided that Runway wasn't worth losing my girls over." Miranda continued again wondering why she was even telling Andrea this. "And now I have a better relationship with my daughters than it has ever been and I keep wondering to myself why it had never always been this way, but I was selfish and wasn't happy with my personal life with Stephen and so took it out on my assistants and even my daughters." she said and put a hand on Andrea's shoulder halting the woman's step in front of her.

 

Andy paused and looked over her shoulder finding Miranda's face incredibly close to hers and she tried not to gasp at the breathtaking woman.

 

"For that I apologise, Andrea, for making your life miserable." Miranda said. She knew what she had done to her assistants, some had even had melt downs and needed months to recover.

 

"No, don't apologise to me, Miranda, by being you at work you helped me to become the person I am today." Andy responded. "Now I have something to say to you before we go inside. Thank you for the job reference, and I'm truly sorry about the way I left in Paris. That was immature and unprofessional. I should have at least stayed to give you my letter of resignation and until you had a suitable assistant."

 

"Andrea, I played a big part in your leaving. I should never have said what I said." Miranda said even though she did see a big part of herself in the young woman.

 

Before Andy could respond she was interrupted by the twins.

 

"Moooom, I'm hungry!" Cassidy said.

 

"Can we have something to eat?!" Caroline asked.

 

"We can have some soup for entree. That will tide you over." Miranda suggested.

 

"Yum!" Cassidy said.

 

"Okay!" Caroline said.

 

"Can I have tomato soup, please, the one with the chunky garlic." Cassidy continued.

 

"Of course, and Caroline what would you like?" Miranda asked.

 

"That creamy one, please." Caroline said.

 

Miranda turned to Andrea. "Soup, Andrea?" she questioned the smiling woman.

 

Andy couldn't believe how relaxed she felt in the Priestly's company. It was so nice. "Sure, that creamy one sounds good." She replied with a wink towards Caroline.

 

Caroline smiled at her.

 

"Hey Andy, would you like to play a game or two of Foosball with me before we have soup?" Cassidy asked, thinking it would be a fun way to keep her mind off of her rumbling stomach.

 

"I'd love to! But I haven't played in years so I could be pretty rusty." Andy responded, following the twins.

 

"That's alright, Andy, I'll go easy on you." Cassidy said.

 

Andy laughed, and four games later Miranda was placing bowls onto the dining table having only needing to microwave the soup she had pre-cooked at home two nights ago. "Whenever you're ready, but it'll be quite hot." she commented as she walked back into the kitchen and took out the bottle of Pellegrino and refilled Andrea's glass. The brunette woman was flushed and looked utterly divine.

"Thanks." Andy breathed, grateful for the cold liquid, and gulped it down.

 

"You were really good at Foosball, Andy." Cassidy commented as she picked up her soup spoon. "Have you played much before?"

 

"I played with my brother, Harrison, a lot when we were younger, but then the table broke somehow and we never played it again." Andy said as she blew the soup on her spoon. It smelled absolutely wonderful, and she wondered if Miranda made it herself. "Do you play soccer or do you just enjoy Foosball?" she asked curiously.

 

"Caroline and I play soccer. We also play basketball." Cassidy said as she had some of her soup. "Caroline's a pro at it."

 

"You're both gifted in your own hobbies and sports." Miranda said, her motherly side showing.

 

Andy smiled at that.

 

"I also play Lacrosse on Wednesday's at lunch time." Caroline said.

 

"Ah, lacrosse. The greatest!" Andy said, smiling widely. "I used to play it in high school, and then I got accepted to play college lacrosse at North western which was totally awesome, but unfortunately in only my second match I got severely injured, and was in hospital for months, and I haven't been able to play competitively again."

 

"What happened?" Caroline asked a shocked look on her face.

 

"Hip injury. Completely dislocated. Still gives me trouble every now and then. I'm surprised I managed to run around for your mom all those times." Andy replied laughingly.

 

"Well, had I known you had endured such a serious injury I would have kept you at the desk more." Miranda commented.

 

Andy waved Miranda's words away. "Honestly, I never had any problems running errands. It was more sitting on planes for hours on end that had my body stiffen up a lot, and if anything, it were my feet that got such a shock from the errands." she said, and laughed some more.

 

Miranda chuckled. She could definitely understand that pain.

 

"I used to always hear Emily complaining about her feet." Caroline said. "She even told me one day that she had like over four blisters just on one foot."

 

Andy chuckled. "How is Emily? I haven't seen her for a while now."

 

"Mom gave Emily a promotion. She now works in the Art Department managing the Runway mock-up. She loves it." Caroline said. "And she comes over to the house a lot since Mom promoted her. They have striked up a friendship of sorts."

 

"Really?" Andy asked, quite surprised with this information.

 

Miranda nodded and shrugged. "She is a good person, and I enjoy her insight to the magazine. She doesn't know it yet, but I'm grooming her for the new co-editor position I'm hoping to put into place so that will help cut back my long hours, and I can focus on a new project I've wanted to do for years now."

 

"Another magazine." Cassidy whispered.

 

"Sounds interesting." Andy said. She would love to know more.

 

"And I'm thinking of only have one assistant, but who that is I don't know, I wonder if I'll ever get another fully competent assistant again." Miranda replied, looking pointedly at Andrea.

 

"Did you fire Rebecca?" Cassidy questioned.

 

"I had to." Miranda said. "She got on my last nerve."

 

"Oh no, what did she do this time?" Caroline asked as she and her sister chuckled.

 

"She spilt coffee all over my laptop and in my lap." Miranda responded. "Good thing it wasn't searing hot as she had taken too long to get back to the office. Fifth time a coffee incident has occurred now."

 

"It's actually the seventh time." Caroline said. "First it was on Emily's desk. We never heard the end of that." Caroline replied laughingly. "The second time it was spilt on the carpet. Third in the elevator because she got shoved or so she says. Fourth was because she tripped over her own feet. Fifth she spilt the coffees on herself because you stopped in front of her abruptly and she hadn't noticed, and the sixth time on the photographs of the Chanel shoot with Heidi Klum, and now this."

 

"Oh god, I kind of wished I'd have been there for that." Andy quietly said.

 

"Yes, well, even though I kept her on for longer than she deserved, I fired her and sent her away with a sparkling reference." Miranda said.

 

"Oh Mom, check out this picture!" Caroline said handing her iPod over to Miranda.

 

"Oh, my." Miranda said as thousands of thoughts came to mind as she took in the photo of Andrea in her lacrosse uniform. It was a professionally done photo, and she couldn't get over how utterly stunning the woman was.

 

"Oh my god." Andy commented when she saw what Miranda was looking at. "That's a bad photo of me."

 

"What are you talking about?!" Miranda asked in shock. "It's a brilliant photo." You're gorgeous.

 

"It must suck not being able to play anymore." Caroline said.

 

"Yeah, I was completely devastated. It was the one thing I truly loved to do competitively, and it all got taken away from me from one knock to the ground. Goes to show freak accidents can occur when you least expect it." Andy said with a sigh as she rubbed her hip. "But alas we have to accept situations and move on, and so I did, and decided to write for the University newspaper instead and that's where I knew my passion was."

 

"So, is that what you studied at University? Journalism or something?" Cassidy asked.

 

Andy chuckled at that as that's what most people assumed. "The complete opposite, actually. I studied Law."

 

"You wanted to be a Lawyer?" Caroline asked surprised by this.

 

Andy chuckled at the confused look she was getting from both redheads. "For a while I thought it was what I wanted, but once I got into my second year I realised deep down it wasn't what I was supposed to be doing." Andy responded. "Honestly the only reason I went in the first place was because I got accepted into the Lacrosse team, but then that dream ended quickly, and I realised that I wasn't supposed to be a Lawyer, but that I really loved to write instead so I decided to pursue that after I finished my degree."

 

"I'd have thought you would have studied journalism or something like that!" Caroline said. She was surprised by this new detail about Andy's life.

 

"You would make a better Lawyer than Stephen." Cassidy commented.

 

Andy laughed. "Oh, I'm not sure about that! He's very well sought after!"

 

"There's nothing great about him though." Cassidy replied before quickly turning to her mother. "Sorry." she said looking sheepish.

 

Miranda waved a hand, dismissing her daughter’s words. She had known they never liked him, and truly she didn't either, and it had been a huge mistake bringing him into their lives.

 

"What made you go into Law in the first place?" Caroline questioned.

 

"My Dad is a Lawyer, and I had seen him practising what he was going to say in the court room that for a long time I thought that's who I wanted to be like, but then I realised that, even though I love helping people, Law wasn't for me." Andy explained. "I was always a great writer, and still remember the thrill I got when I saw my first article had been published in the college newspaper, and so once I finished college I broke the news to my Dad."

 

"How did your Dad take that?" Caroline asked curiously.

 

"Not good at all." Andy responded, continuing after taking a gulp of sparkling water. "He was extremely disappointed, and wasn't happy with me for a long time."

 

Miranda took in all this new information about Andrea as she watched the gorgeous woman talk with her daughters occasionally glancing at the Runway Editor.

 

"But I simply told him that it was my life, my decision, and that I would become the greatest journalist and that I was moving to New York City with Nate to do so as there were more opportunities there for me."

 

The brunette continued before sighing.

 

"But then we get to New York City and the reality of it all, our quick thinking decision seemed quite silly. It took both of us forever to get jobs. Nate is a really great sous chef and he managed to get put on at an upscale restaurant, but I was at a loss still. That was until I met your mother that fateful day at Elias-Clarke thanks to HR for sending me up there." she said smiling at Miranda and continued to look her in the eye as she spoke more. "It was either Auto Universe or Runway Magazine, and I knew absolutely nothing about them so I really didn't think I was going to get either job, but your Ma surprised me." Andy continued. "So, that made me really happy." But then I screwed it up.

 

"But it wasn't what you planned on doing when you got to Manhattan?" Cassidy said with a frown. "I don't get it. Why would you be so happy about that?"

 

"Your Ma gave me a chance, and I learnt a lot. I got to see a lot of different things that I wouldn't have been able to if it weren't for her." Andy explained. "But then I stupidly walked away, and stuffed everything up, and yet she still gave me a reference and now I'm doing the dream job and get to write about whatever I want."

 

"Like I said, I saw something in you, and I knew you were destined for greater things." Miranda murmured before finishing her glass of water. "And you were a competent assistant, and I played a part in your leaving, and it wouldn't have been right if I held you back from doing what you're meant to do." she said, her heart fluttering. "I really do genuinely hope you're as happy as you seem to be about where you currently work."

 

"I am, really Miranda, and I wouldn't have this if it weren't for you so thank you." Andy said, reaching out to place her hand on Miranda's and she squeezed until she realised what she was doing and quickly, but calmly, pulled her hand away remembering the two rules from Emily Charlton "You may never ask Miranda anything!" and "You may never touch Miranda whether by accident or not, but she hates it when it happens!"

 

"Anyway, that soup was extremely tasty!" Andy said and avoided Miranda's eye. She was sure the older woman wouldn't be happy she had dared to touch her, but just as Cassidy started talking Miranda placed her hand on her shoulder as she stood.

 

"You can touch me, Andrea, I don't actually breathe fire like some may think." Miranda murmured, squeezed Andrea's shoulder, before walking into the kitchen.

 

Andy could feel the heat from Miranda's hand seared into her shoulder and she hoped the sensation would never fade away, but alas it did, and she was shaken from her thoughts when she saw Cassidy wave a hand in front of her face.

 

"Earth to Andy!"

 

"What, ah," Andy cleared her throat and turned to Cassidy. "Sorry, what did you say?"

 

Miranda chuckled softly from the kitchen. Oh, she was going to enjoy getting under Andrea's skin tonight.

~*~


	2. Chapter 2

~*~  
  
"Mom made the soup herself." Cassidy said. "She's the best cook."

  
"Yeah, she makes the greatest pumpkin soup!" Caroline added.

  
Miranda chuckled and blushed a little. "Oh girls, shush."

  
"It's true, Mom!" Cassidy said as she stood and placed her bowl in the sink and hugged her mother.

  
Miranda smiled and returned the embrace before she looked over at Andrea. "Would you like another drink, Andrea?" she asked having realised she hadn't asked the brunette if she wanted another drink since her second glass of Pellegrino. "We have everything from beer, wine, and spirits. Also your usual sodas, and juices."

  
"Um, a beer would be really great." Andy replied. "Doesn't matter what kind, surprise Me." she said, winking at the older woman.

  
Miranda's breath caught at the obvious flirtation. The woman made her feel so many different things that she'd never felt with any man before. "Hollandia it is then." she said, trying her best to ignore the feelings Andrea ignited inside of her by just one look.

  
"Never heard of it." Andy said as she stood from the table with her empty soup bowl.

  
"It was our Grandfathers favourite beer." Cassidy said.

  
"It's lager, actually." Miranda corrected, smiling at her daughter.

  
"Oh, that's right! I always forget!" Cassidy said.

  
"Your Dad was Dutch?" Andy asked Miranda. It was a wild question, and hoped she wasn't wrong.

  
"Yep, and my mother was Scottish, but she moved to England when she was young. She travelled to Holland one year and met my Father. He loved my Mother so much that he moved his life to England which is where I grew up until I moved to the United States when I was twenty." Miranda said. She had only ever told one person about her childhood and that was Eric. Stephen never knew all the dark details, and neither did the twins or Nigel whom she was good friends with ever since she went to her first high profile fashion party.

  
"That must have been scary doing that at such a young age on your own." Andy said having read every piece of information possible on Miranda Priestly on the internet. The one thing that had always confused Andy was why her parents and childhood were never mentioned in anything she read.

  
"Oh, it definitely was, but it worked out wonderfully in the long run." Miranda replied smiling at her daughters who were rinsing their bowls and placing them in the dish washer. She patted Patricia who came to a stop next to her and looked up at her. "Won't be long until dinner now." she murmured and gave Patricia one last pat before she walked over to the sink, washed her hands, and began pulling out ingredients.

  
"Did you need a hand with anything?" Andy asked, understanding that Miranda clearly was over speaking of her past.

  
"Definitely not. You're a guest, Andrea, so please go sit down or whatever." Miranda said, waving the brunette away when she tried to walk into the kitchen.

  
"Miranda, it's fine, I can help if you like. I really don't mind." Andy responded, but Miranda wouldn't allow it.

  
"Honestly, it won't take me long at all." Miranda said.

  
"Andy, you wanna play the Wii?" Caroline asked.

  
"We have some new games we haven't played yet." Cassidy added.

  
Andy gave one last look at Miranda who waved her away. "You're a stubborn one." she muttered before wandering over to the TV area and accepted the Wii controller from Caroline. "What are we playing?"

  
"I reckon we should give NBA 2K11 a try, and when we get bored of that we can give Super Mario Galaxy 2 a go." Caroline said.

  
"Dinner will take about sixty minute so take your time." Miranda chimed in as she began making the Buffalo sauce.

  
"Sounds good to me." Andy said and hoped she'd be good at either Wii game because she sucked when it came to video games.

  
Cassidy had just knelt down in front of the TV and ejected the game that was already in the Wii when the blue screen of the Emergency Broadcast System appeared on the screen and beeped in warning causing her to jump in fright as she hadn't realised it was 7pm already. The time had gone fast this year as they were having so much fun with Andy. She hated this Broadcast, but what she absolutely hated was the six sirens at the end that made her skin crawl.

  
"Oh god." Caroline muttered at the screen. "This is utterly stupid!"

  
"I know, bobbsey's." Miranda said as she came to a stop behind the sofa and placed her hand on her daughters head, running her fingers through the red hair and Cassidy quickly joined her twin as that all too familiar female robotic voice sounded through the speakers.

  
"This is not a test, this is your Emergency Broadcast System. Announcing the commencement of the annual purge sanctioned by the U.S. Government. Weapons of class four and lower have been authorized for use during the purge. All other weapons are restricted. Government officials of ranking 10 have been granted immunity and shall not be harmed. Commencing at the siren, any and all crime (including murder) will be legal for 12 continuous hours. Police, fire, and Emergency Medical services will be unavailable until tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m. When the purge concludes. Blessed be our New Founding Fathers and America... A nation reborn. May God be with you all."

  
Miranda sighed as the words took her back to that dreadful night this all started.

  
**FLASHBACK:  
March 25th, 2007.  
New York City.  
The Upper East Side, Priestly Townhouse, 6:55PM.**

 

"We interrupt our Programming, this is a national Emergency, important instructions will follow."  
  
  
"Mommy! Something is happening on the T.V!" Cassidy yelled over the beeping of the TV. Poking her head out the door, and looking down the hall way towards her mom’s bedroom.

  
"Something about an Emergency Broadcast about to happen." Caroline added. "Do you think it's another terrorist attack?!"

  
Miranda had hurried down the hall, a towel wrapped around her body, as she'd jumped out of the bath she had been relaxing in for the first time in over two weeks. An emergency broadcast on the TV these days could mean nothing good. She walked over to the clothes horse where one of her many night gowns had been drying over night by the fire. She slipped it on and delighted in how cosy she felt.

  
"Can I get some popcorn for this?!" Caroline asked.

  
Miranda's head whipped around to her daughter. "Excuse me, young lady, but did I just hear you ask for popcorn when there is an emergency broadcast about to happen?!?" she questioned, her voice low and in a warning tone. "People could be suffering right now, and you want to watch with popcorn?" she shook her head in disbelief.

  
Caroline cringed. "I'm sorry." she whispered before returning her head to her Gameboy.

  
Miranda shook her head and ran a hand through her wet hair. "No, I'm sorry, bobbsey." she said as she sat down next to her daughter. "You know I'm going through a hard time at the moment with Runway and Stephen not leaving us alone." and with Andrea gone. "I shouldn't be taking that out on you, but your request... you can't ask things like that when goodness knows what could be currently happening outside this house."

  
"Dad says I should think before I speak." Caroline softly replied.

  
Miranda nodded. "That would be wise, sweetheart." she responded before picking up her Motorola and checked to see if she had any messages. There was one from Emily to inform her that their flight would be landing soon, and she can pick up The Book on her way to the townhouse. She looked up when the beeping stopped, and a robotic female voice was heard.

  
"This is not a test."

  
Miranda's eyebrow raised as the TV went silent again, the blue screen still visible.

 

"What's going on, Mommy?" Cassidy asked, worry evident in her tone.

 

"I'm not sure, bobbsey." Miranda replied, putting her arm around Cassidy who snuggled into her.

"This is not a test, repeat, this is not a test.  
Since the United States has recently gotten New Founding Fathers, the Annual Purge is Now real.  
Each Purge will be sanctioned by the U.S. Government. Weapons of class four and lower have been authorized for use during the Purge. All other weapons are restricted. The President and his family have been granted immunity and shall not be harmed. Non-compliance with any of the aforementioned rules will result in death by hanging. Commencing at the siren, any and all crime, up to, and including Murder, will be legal for 12 continuous hours. Police, fire and hospital aid will be unavailable until Thursday morning, March 26, at 7 AM, when The Purge concludes. The Emergency Alert System will no longer be in use after the Purge ends. Blessed be our New Founding Fathers and America, a nation reborn."  
  
  
A shiver shot through Miranda's spine as she stiffened as her girls looked at her instantly. They of course knew what Purge meant. They did own Dictionaries.  
" _Weapons of Class 4 and lower have been authorized for use during the Purge. All other weapons are restricted. Commencing at the siren, any and all crime, including murder will be legal for 12 continuous hours."_

  
The words echoed in Miranda's mind as her heart was pounding now as the robotic woman's voice continued.

 

"This is an Emergency Action Notification. All broadcast stations and cable systems shall transmit this Emergency Action Notification message. This station has interrupted its regular programming at the request of the United States Government to participate in the Emergency Alert System. During this emergency, most stations will remain on the air to provide news and information to the public in assigned areas. This is WNBC. We will continue to serve the New York City Metropolitan Area. If you are not in this local area, you should tune to stations providing news and information for your local area. You are listening to the Emergency Alert System serving the New York City Metropolitan Area. Do not use your telephone. The telephone lines will be shutdown for the next 12 hours. The Emergency Alert System has been activated. May God be with you all."

  
After the voice stopped the Siren's happened which sent shivers down the three Priestly's spines. Not only did they come out of the speakers of their entertainment system, but also coming from outside.

 

This now explained the strange activity that has been happening in New York City these last few months with workers placing more CCTV camera's around the city and the square shaped boxes that looked like speakers on nearly every other neighbourhood corner.

  
"Where are they coming from, how are they doing that?" Caroline asked, looking around wildly.

  
Caroline had moved and was now sitting extremely close to Miranda shaking just as Cassidy reacted the same as they sat frozen to the spot.

  
"It's like the sirens are above us." Caroline as the sixth and last siren sounded, and then the room fell quiet.

  
"What's happening, Mommy?" Cassidy asked. "Why are they doing this?"

  
"I don't know, sweetheart, but everything is going to be okay." Miranda said turning to look at her daughters. "We are going to be okay."

  
"Pinkie promise?" Cassidy asked.

  
"I pinkie promise, yes." Miranda said, wrapping their pinkies together and squeezing. "I'm going to call your Father, he'll know what’s going on." she said. For now she knew she needed to dig up the Satellite

phone her ex-husband had given who so she could call him. Eric would know exactly how and why this is happening having connections all over the Globe from working for the Royal National Guard, but now she had no idea what he did as he was much more secretive, but she had an inkling it had to do with the NSA as he had been getting letters delivered to him from the organisation when he'd been living here. 

 

Not wanting to live her daughters sides but knew they had to work together right now she slowly motioned for them to get up. "I'm going to look for that phone that your Father gave me and while I'm doing that I want you to close all of the curtains, turn off the foyer lights, make sure all the doors and windows are locked and we'll meet back here." She said, looking at her daughters who were scared and unsure. "Can you do that for me?"

 

"Yes, Mommy." They chorused.

 

"Good." Miranda knelt and hugged them again. "Oh, I love you both so very much." 

 

"Love you too, Mommy."

 

Miranda kissed her children on their foreheads before standing and they both went in different directions in the house.

  
"Eric, what the hell is going on?" The editor asked once she'd located the sat phone.

  
"Miranda, before you start, I need you to calm down." Eric said firmly. "No good is going to come out of this is you're not calm."

  
Miranda breathed in deeply, and let out a shaky breath. "Please tell me what's going on? I mean, I knew the Government was changing since this whole  "New Founding Fathers of America" were put in office, but everything was normal up until now."

  
  
"The New Founding Fathers has been planning this for quite some time, and have kept it classified information, until now. It wasn't supposed to happen unexpectedly like this that I know for sure. But it's a new world, Miranda, they can do whatever they please." Eric explained. "It's the new way for global depopulation control, Miranda. All the worlds countries are too populated, and the New Founding Fathers aren't happy with all the money they're having to fork out for immigrants, etc. They hope with an annual purge that thousands upon thousands will get murdered yearly without the actual Government officials getting their hands anymore dirty than they already are, and I assure you that they will if it becomes a necessary action, but this... it simply means another way for the American Government to make more money and to have more control of the people." 

  
"More money for the greedy. Why am I so shocked? But this, Eric? People being allowed to cleanse their bodies of their darkest desires?" Miranda responded. It was absolutely unimaginable. "It's a monstrosity! A worldwide disaster waiting to happen!" she said, and the worst part was that there was no where they could hide right now due to having zero warning. "Do you have any idea how many people hate me, Eric, and the things I know they would do to me if they ever got the chance? Well, now they have that fucking chance!" she ran a shaking hand through her hair. "What the fuck am I supposed to do? Anyone could easily break into the house! What about the girls!" she was pacing the length of the second floor hall way now.

 

It was then that the sound of gun fire coming from down the street ricocheted loudly out the window causing Miranda to jump at the unexpected sound, a sound she was now going to have to get used to.

  
"Mommy, I'm scared." Cassidy said.

  
"Me too. I don't like this." Caroline said.

 

The girls said as they came barrelling down the staircase towards her, holding onto each of her hands.

  
"What am I supposed to do, Eric?" Miranda asked. "We have two young daughters!" she said, and that's when the nightmare thoughts came to her. "What about all the rapists, and paedophiles. They get to do whatever they please also?" she questioned quietly moving away from her daughters who were clinging to each other. "This is all too much to handle." she whispered.

  
"Unfortunately, yes." Eric replied. "I know it's scary, Miranda, but I have been planning for this, for Caroline and Cassidy, and your safety, but it won't help you for tonight."

  
"So, what are we supposed to do for tonight?" Miranda asked. She had thousands who hated her and who could easily decide to come after her and her daughters.

  
"Lock all the doors, turn the lights off, and go down into the basement. You'll be safe in there." Eric said. "But the three of you won't be in the city next year. I'll explain more to you tomorrow. Our phones might not be safe to talk on, people could tap in, and so I want you to turn it off. That stands for your laptops also. We can't risk anyone hacking into your connection."

  
"Hackers are even more of a concern now too than they once more." Miranda said. "Of course. Could this night get any worse?!" she asked as the thought of all her freaky admirers and letters crossed her mind. Her heart was pounding in her ears. "How am I supposed to keep our girls safe? What if someone tries to come inside?!" she asked. She didn't know how to fire weapons or throw a punch.

  
"Miranda, listen to me. You have to calm down." Eric said. "That isn't going to happen. I have eyes on your house as we speak, and I've put a lock on your bank accounts. No one can get in, not even you." Eric said. "Don't worry, Miranda, all you need to worry about is getting the girls and yourself down into the basement and stay there until this is all over. It is fully stocked down there still, right?"

  
"Of course, I always listened to you about the possibility of something crazy happening, and kept it stocked to humour you, I just never thought something like this would happen." Miranda replied.

  
"Well, we're lucky it's not a dirty bomb. This is something we can get through." Eric said.

  
"Yes, of course, you're right." Miranda replied, running a hand through her hair and turning to look at her daughters who were watching her. "Alright, the girls and I will be safe. Please call me tomorrow morning to let me know you're okay."

  
"Don't worry about me, Miranda, no one can get to me where I am." Eric responded.

  
"Good. I know it hasn't been the best between us since the divorce, but I still... I still love you, you'll always have a spot in my heart, and I'd hate for something awful to happen to you. I'm not sure what the girls and I would do if that ever happened." Miranda said, letting her vulnerabilities show for the first time to another person since that awful night in Paris when Andrea walked in on her crying, completely broken and humiliated.

  
"Everything's going to be fine, Miranda, now I have to go. Settle in for the night, you'll be fine. Tell the girls Daddy loves them." Eric said.

  
"I will. Bye." Miranda replied, and with that the phone call ended.

  
"What are we doing? Is Dad coming over?" Caroline asked as more scary noises sounded down in the streets.

  
"Your father can't come right now, he's doing important work, but he's keeping watch over us with his computer skills. He loves you very much and you will see him tomorrow." Miranda responded. "And as for us, well, we're going to grab our dinner from the kitchen, and whatever movies and munchies you want, and we're going to go down into the basement, and pretend it's any other night, okay?"

  
"Okay, but what about Emily?" Caroline asked. "She’s currently thirty thousand feet in the air. When she lands at JFK won't it be scary?"

 

"She can't be out on her own, Mom, like you said to Daddy gross men can do as they wish to women now!" Cassidy added.

  
"Shit." Miranda said taking in the concerned look on her daughters face. "Thank you for reminding me, Caroline." she said as she looked down at her cell phone and dialled Eric again. It went to voice mail. "Eric, I'm sorry to call again, but I was hoping you could do me a huge favour...” she left a message and hoped to the Universe above that he heard it. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if something horrible happened to Emily Charlton and she hadn't done anything to try and stop it.

  
**PRESENT DAY.**

  
After the sirens sounded Miranda sighed and shook her head. She was just thankful they were out of the city, but she still couldn't shake the fear that someday something would happen to her girls due to this Purge and to the people who didn't like her. She received hate letters daily, and someone attacking her or her girls would surely happen someday during this gut-wrenching night. She sighed and knew she had to be prepared and ready for something drastic to happen. Her girls were already taking weapon training, a thought Miranda never thought she'd be happy about, but it was the way of life now and the older woman knew she was going to have to learn how to use weapons also.

  
The Runway Editor was pulled out of her thoughts as Caroline started speaking animatedly. It was her way of dealing with the Purge acting as if nothing crazy was happening outside these walls and resumed acting normal. She did after all learn from the best. She walked back into the kitchen and got to cooking whilst Andrea played the Wii with her daughters for the next hour. As soon as the oven buzzed Miranda chuckled when her daughters stopped their game, threw their controllers onto the sofa, and bounced on over to the island counter and watched eagerly as their mom brought out the first tray from the oven. One thing that Miranda was sure on was that her daughters always had a fantastic appetite.  
  
The first tray that Andy spotted was the roasted cauliflower and even though she wasn't always a fan of the vegetable she couldn't deny that it smelt and looked super delicious.  
  
"Mmmmm, smells so yummy!" Caroline said.  
  
"Indeed." Miranda commented and looked over at her daughters. "Go and wash your hands, and then we can eat."  
  
"Okay, mom!" They both chorused before they headed for their bathroom and Andy was about to head to the other bathroom when she was stopped by the Runway Editors voice.  
  
"You can do that over here if you like."  
  
"Okay, thanks." Andy said, walking around the island counter to stop next to Miranda, their shoulders nearly touching, making her remember that first elevator ride together, shoulders brushing.  
  
Squirting some hand soap into her right palm and turning on the tap she proceeded to wash her hands and she could have sworn she felt Miranda's eyes on her the whole time, but when Andy looked up Miranda was focusing at her task at hand of preparing a yummy looking salad dressing. She turned back to her hands and turned off the running water, and took the nearby tea towel and dried them off.  
  
"What do those two do?" Andy questioned, nodding to the two taps situated in the smaller part of the sink.  
  
"One is connected to a barrel of sparking water, and the other is fresh purified water." Miranda responded as she too washed her hands.  
  
"Wow, you really have it all set up here." Andy commented, smiling, and continued. "It must be nice being able to provide for your daughters like this without worrying about money, debts, and the purging."  
  
Miranda nodded. "I'm very fortunate, and I definitely take none of it for granted." she said, and continued. "I know I'm lucky to have the bank account I do, but it hasn't been easy for me to get here. Plus it helps that I don't do anything foolish with said money contrary to what the press may say about what I spend my personal money on because they don't bother to read about my charities that I donate yearly to unlike all the other money bags I personally know that simply throw away money on young model girlfriends." Miranda finished, wondering why she felt the need to clarify all this to the young brunette.  
  
"Plus you have ten children you sponsor through World Vision." Andy commented.  
  
"How did you..." Miranda trailed off.  
  
Andy chuckled. "I did work for you, Miranda." she replied, clearing her throat, and confessing. "I happened to see your laptop left open one evening at the office, you were already gone, and so I turned it off for you, and couldn't help but see an email that was on the screen from World Vision about one of your sponsor children. I didn't intentionally peak."  
  
Miranda waved a hand at Andrea's words. "I know you would never do that, Andrea."  
  
"But seriously, Miranda, I think it's absolutely amazing what you do for those children, and for all the other charities you donate not only your money but your own personal time to." Andy said, knowing that Miranda frequently visits Africa and other third world countries when her time allows it.  
  
"Thank you, Andrea, it's nice to hear that from someone every once in a while." Miranda said, turning and smiling at the young woman.  
  
"I would love to be able to donate to lots of charities and even sponsor children, but unfortunately due to a very large University debt I cannot. My parents help me out when they can, but they have their own debt troubles and a house they're constantly renovating and fixing up, so I'll be paying it off for a good couple years yet." Andy said.  
  
"You didn't get a Scholarship?" Miranda questioned.  
  
"I did," Andy said, and sighed. "But due to the injury sustained to my hip and stopping me from playing they had to cut my scholarship, and then guess what I decide to do two years into my degree that it isn't what I want to do, so, it's kind of annoying that I'm paying for something that I never intended to truly do."  
  
"Oh, that's right. I'm really sorry that happened to you, Andrea, that you were forced to quit from your dream." Miranda responded.  
  
Andy shrugged. "It took me a while, but I've managed to get over it now, and I found my new calling in life, writing, and have a really amazing job thanks to you, so I cannot complain."  
  
"I knew you were going to strive at the Mirror. I'm glad Greg hired you." Miranda said.  
  
Andy opened her mouth to respond, but at that moment the twins came skipping out of the bathroom happily.  
  
"Is dinner served yet?!" Caroline asked, but frowned when she saw the empty table.  
  
"Patience, sweethearts." Miranda responded, smiling at them as they landed into their favoured seats at the dinner table to get ready for their main because as always their soup didn't tide them over for long. "But I'm pleased you're starving as there's plenty of food!"  
  
Andy smiled as she watched Miranda pulled out the second tray which made Andy's stomach rumble loudly which caused the girls to chuckle. "The macaroni and cheese bake looks absolutely mouth-watering." she commented and blushed furiously when she saw Miranda looking at her.  
  
"Good to know someone else is hungry also." Miranda commented, smirking.  
  
Andy just chuckled. She honestly felt quite at home with the Priestly's, and she could picture herself with them a lot more. If only... She thought before breathing in all the different aromas.  
  
"Would you like to plate your own or...?" Miranda asked.  
  
"I trust you can do a good job at that." Andy replied cheekily.  
  
Miranda smirked. "Breast or thigh?" she questioned next.  
  
"I'm a breast girl." Andy murmured from where she leaned against the kitchen counter, and when Miranda looked up at her, she gave the Runway Editor a big shock and winked at her. She saw a look of surprise cross Miranda's face and a slight tinge to her cheeks as they blushed, but her make-up covered it well, and she could only see because of their close proximity. The brunette chuckled softly before turning around and taking a seat across from Cassidy.  
  
Miranda tossed a green salad with ranch dressing before placing it in the middle of the dining table, her arm brushed Andrea's, and her breath caught.  
  
"Everything alright?" Andy asked her.  
  
Miranda swallowed hard. "Of course." she said in reply. Her heart was fluttering like wild. The Runway Editor had no idea why she was feeling like this. It was ridiculous, she knew, but at the same time she absolutely loved it, and could not help the thoughts of Andrea invading her mind. She cleared her throat, and ran a hand through her hair, before she began plating up their food.  
  
As a plate was placed in front of her Andy hummed in delight. There was a generous amount of Mac N Cheese on each plate, as well as a luscious piece of chicken breast, and a chicken wing along with a nice amount of cauliflower.  
  
"Alright, then." Miranda said as she sat at the head of the table and looked at them all. "Let's dig in!"  
  
Caroline and Cassidy grinned at her and Andy chuckled. She was absolutely loving this side of Miranda. The woman, the mother, not the Editor. Exactly how she had pictured Miranda Priestly to be.  
  
They all dug into their food with Andy starting on the cauliflower knowing it was always best eating the thing you didn't enjoy first, but to her surprise it tasted better than expected, but then again she wasn't that surprised as it had been cooked by Miranda Priestly of all people had cooked it so of course it would be nothing but delicious.  
  
After the cauliflower went down nicely her first forkful of mac and cheese was... "Oh, man!" she announced, eyes closing, and humming her appreciation for the taste. She opened her eyes and they instantly connected with Miranda's.  
  
Miranda swallowed hard at the look Andrea was giving her. "Miranda, this is soooo good!" the brunette said, moaning softly. The Runway Editor smiled. "Thank you, Andrea."  
  
"Wait until you try the chicken." Caroline said.  
  
"Oh, I can't wait. I'm imagining I'll be even more blown away by your mother." Andy responded.  
  
The two women held eye contact for longer than they ever had before, and both women knew they were thinking along the same lines.  
  
"Can I get you another beer, Andy?" Caroline asked as she stood from the table with her empty glass.  
  
Andy nodded, breaking the eye contact with Miranda, as she looked at her empty beer bottle. "Thanks, Caroline, that would be great."  
  
"No problems." Caroline replied, taking the offered empty beer bottle, chucking it in the recycling box, before opening the fridge and pouring herself a glass of lemonade, and a Hollandia beer from the door of the fridge.  
  
 "So, do you guys know what colleges you want to go to?" Andy asked, figuring it seemed like a conversation they would be happy to have, as she tried her chicken leg, and her eyes closed. God, it was the greatest chicken she'd ever had.  
  
"Somewhere close to home." Caroline responded. "Columbia or Harvard. I will decide when it comes closer to happening." she added as she knew that when she gets older she could decide to change her mind even though she is a major home body and a mommy's girl.  
  
"I love Columbia." Cassidy said. "We've already looked there and it was awesome. All the people and teachers we spoke to were really nice."  
  
"Did you want to go anywhere else or had you always wanted to go to North western?" Caroline asked.  
  
"North western was always my first choice. I didn't want to be far from home as it was my first time ever away from my parents for longer than a couple days!" Andy replied. "Also both my parents went there, that's how they met, and so it felt right that I went to."  
  
"Dad thinks we would both suit going to Dartmouth, but that's a really hard school to get into." Cassidy said.  
  
"And you have everything it takes to get in there." Miranda commented. At the end of the day it was her daughter’s decision and she and Eric could only give those words of advice, but she knew her daughters could get into any University they wanted. Their IQ's were amazing.  
  
"It is a good looking school though." Caroline said. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to go and look there."  
  
"Exactly." Miranda replied. "But, thankfully, there is still plenty of time for that." she said to her fourteen year olds. They still had another three years to think all about this.  
  
"I don't reckon I'll change my mind though." Cassidy said.  
  
Miranda knew that her daughters were worried about moving away from home.  
  
"This is the most amazing meal I've had in a very long time." Andy responded after swallowing a mouthful of chicken. "Your buffalo sauce is one of the best I've ever had."  
  
"Everyone says that, and she never gives the recipe to anyone!" Cassidy chimed in.  
  
Andy chuckled and looked over at Miranda. "Oh, I reckon I could wrangle it out of her somehow."  
  
"Good luck with that, Andy." Caroline said laughingly as she saw the look Andy was giving her mom. Interesting...  
  
"Moms macaroni and cheese is my favourite meal. EVER!" Cassidy said. "Every time we go around to Dads he cooks his mac and cheese, which I don't like, but I always have to pretend to like it because he goes to a lot of effort to make it especially for me." she said, giggling, "But he still hasn't figured it out yet!"  
  
Miranda chuckled also. "He definitely can be oblivious when it comes to things like that."  
  
"And Mandy thinks she can cook, but she cannot. Her cookies are terrible!" Caroline added.  
  
"Yeah, they have some weird after taste." Cassidy said.  
  
Miranda scrunched her nose up. "Ew. That doesn't sound nice at all." she commented.  
  
"It isn't." Cassidy said, scrunching her nose too, and Miranda smiled and ran a hand through her daughter’s unruly messy hair.  
  
"Everyone always thinks we have a cook, but Mom cooks for us most nights." Cassidy said.  
  
"Well, we do have a part time nanny who cooks on the nights Mom can't make it home by 8:30PM." Caroline commented before Cassidy continued what she was saying.  
  
"Yeah, but I don't always like Cara's cooking though." Cassidy replied, and continued. "Mom makes the meals Caroline and I enjoy just the way we like it. Cara doesn't know how to do that."  
  
"We're just biased." Caroline said.  
  
Cassidy nodded. "It's because I love Mom so much."  
  
Miranda placed a hand over her chest, her heart beating and filled with so much love and pride for her daughters. "I love you too, sweetheart." she whispered, leaning into her daughter.  
  
"I think the exact same way when it comes to my lovely Ma's cooking." Andy replied, and all three Priestly's turned to her again as she placed the last of her Buffalo Chicken in her mouth. "Some nights she stays up until the early hours cooking."  
  
"Sounds like Mom some nights." Cassidy commented.  
  
"When I can't sleep that is indeed what I do." Miranda said.  
  
"Mom usually makes something yummy for us and it's always a surprise like for breakfast or dessert or our snack during recess at school." Caroline said.  
  
"It's totally cool!" Cassidy added.  
  
"That's real cute." Andy said, smirking at Miranda who simply shrugged.  
  
"Sounds like your mother and I would get along." Miranda commented, going back to the previous conversation.  
  
"You know, I reckon you might be right." Andy said, smiling widely at the thought, before finishing off the buffalo chicken until her plate was empty. "Thanks so much for that, Miranda, it was absolutely wonderful."  
  
Miranda smiled. "I'm glad you enjoyed It." she replied as she finished off the rest of her cauliflower as her plate was also now empty.  
  
It wasn't long before Caroline had finished, but Cassidy still had a bit to go.  
  
"I eat slowly." Cassidy said sheepishly, as she looked down to her plate, flushing a little.  
  
Miranda just smiled as she squeezed her daughter’s hand.  
  
Andy shrugged. "Don't worry about it, there's nothing wrong about that. It's better for your digestive system!" she replied, and continued. "Pippa is the same, and we don't know why, but she has trouble swallowing red meat because of it being so chewy. The doctors aren't sure why this would be, but she did nearly choke when she was a little kid on newspaper so we think maybe that could have something to do with it."  
  
"That's really weird!" Cassidy said.  
  
"I've actually known someone like that." Miranda said then, and Andy looked up at her, placing her head in her palm as she studied the gorgeous woman’s flawless face.  
  
"He had to wash chewy foods down with a drink because he couldn't swallow without doing so." Miranda said with a shrug. "But he's still alive and kickin' so who knows."  
  
"A mystery!" Andy said before finishing off her beer and sitting back extremely satisfied and happily full, her hands atop her stomach.  
  
Miranda smiled as she took in the extremely relaxed and care free woman. It made her very happy to see her former assistant like this with her instead of most other people who would be shaking in their seats waiting for the sting to come from Miranda's mouth after they've said something. Whereas Andrea had always been different. "A breath of fresh air." The Runway Editor thought. Andrea Sachs was the one person Miranda could see having as a true friend even though deep down Miranda knew she wanted Andrea on an entirely different level. Romantically. Sexually. But that was nothing but a mere fantasy she allowed herself to think of late in the nights alone in the townhouse, her fingers trailing down her body, slipping into her underwear. She always felt a little embarrassed and guilty afterwards because of how young Andrea was and the simple fact she had been sure Andrea would be disgusted if she ever found out.  
  
Tonight however the Runway Editor was getting a totally flirtatious vibe from the young woman. That vibe had always been there when Andrea was her assistant, but it always had been hinting, and fleet, as Andrea would quickly scurry out of the office to do her task at hand.  
  
The brunette woman has obviously grown more into herself and has become even more confident. Or it was that she simply felt comfortable around Miranda because they had worked together closely for ten months. Miranda had felt that shift in their working relationship towards the end of Andrea's tenure at Runway. She began to relax, and try and converse with Miranda more, and simply wasn't afraid of her tongue lashings no more.  
  
"What movie have you girls decided you want to watch?" Miranda asked, breaking her thoughts.  
  
"We were thinking maybe Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion." Caroline piped up then.  
  
"Can we, Mom, please?!" Cassidy begged. They had only been allowed to watch some of it a few weeks ago before they had to go to bed, but the girls weren't too sure if their mom would let them watch all of it because there was swearing and sexual words in it even though she and Caroline had started watching The L Word when their Mom thought they were sleeping.  
  
Miranda thought for a minute and once she swallowed down the rest of her beer she nodded. "Alright."  
  
Caroline and Cassidy cheered at that and bounced in their seats. "Thanks Mom!" they chorused.  
  
Miranda smiled and shook her head. They got easily excited over so many things. She dreaded the day they would grow up, and be moody, and mope around, get their hearts broken, etc. But alas, there was nothing Miranda could do to stop that, and the day would come one day.  
  
"Is that okay with you, Andrea?" Miranda asked the brunette.  
  
"You bet it is!" Andy replied, smiling at the Priestly's. "It's like my most favourite movie of all time!" she added.  
  
"Awesome!" The girls chorused, and they jumped up from their seats with their plates and glasses in hand, and walked into the kitchen and began rinsing them before placing them into the dishwasher under the sink.  
  
"Wow." Andy commented as she watched them chattering away happily whilst doing their after dinner chores. "My ma had to yell at my siblings and me for us to listen to her and get us to clear the table."  
  
Miranda chuckled. "I'm very lucky to have my girls. I wouldn't want them any other way."  
  
Andy smiled, turning back to look at Miranda. "My siblings and I were, and still are I might add, a rowdy bunch. Our Ma definitely has her hands full!"  
  
Miranda chuckled again. "For some reason, after looking at those family pictures, I can easily picture you all at the dinner table. Lots of yelling and talking over each other."  
  
"Pretty much." Andy replied.  
  
"I've always wondered what that must be like." Miranda said, as she began to stand from the table with her own plate and empty beer glass. "Growing up in a big and loving family."  
  
Andy frowned at those words and the flash of sadness that passed through Miranda's eyes quickly before disappearing before the older woman could linger on those obviously painful thoughts.  
  
"You're very lucky." Miranda murmured.  
  
As much as Andy wanted to ask Miranda about her family she knew that would be crossing an invisible line as Emily Charlton's words appeared in her mind "You may never ask Miranda anything!"  
  
"I am very grateful." Andy said as she rounded the island counter and was about to rinse her plate, but Miranda took it from her.  
  
"You're our guest. Let me do that." Miranda murmured.  
  
Andy sighed. "You're stubborn, aren't you, Priestly."  
  
"Can't help it, Sachs." Miranda responded, looking pointedly at the brunette.  
  
Andy could see Miranda's eyes sparkling. Good. That was better. She didn't like that sadness she had witnessed. She thoroughly enjoyed this playful side of Miranda which she was slowly getting to witness.  
  
~*~


	3. Chapter 3

~*~  
  
"Hey Andy, did you know we've met Lisa Kudrow like five times now, last was just three weeks ago!" Cassidy said.

  
"Oh, wow! That's super awesome!" Andy said.

  
"We're just lucky we have such an awesome Mom who can arrange meetings with all our favourite celebs!" Caroline said.

  
"Most of them love working with Mom and always want to be in Runway." Cassidy added.

  
Caroline continued. "Most of them would even follow Mom to any other magazine if she were to ever leave the helm of Runway."

  
"I doubt that sweetheart." Miranda said with a shake of her head. "You make me sound like I’m royalty."

  
"Fashion Royalty." Caroline said smirking. "Lots of people would agree with me."

  
"Oh, shush, the two of you." Miranda said.

  
 _Is she blushing?_  Andy thought to herself as she took in Miranda's flushed cheeks. _Oh, my! She is!_ she thought and then decided to playfully add in. "You are though." she piped in, and she watched as Miranda turned a raised eyebrow at her with questioning eyes. "You're like the Queen of Fashion." Andy continued, bravely so. "And a bloody beautiful one at that." she said, looking sheepish at the twins, "excuse the language."

  
Miranda's eyes slightly widened at those softly spoken words of confession.

  
"Come on, Andy! Time for the movie, the popcorn's ready!" Caroline said, grabbing the brunette's arm and pulling her down onto the sofa.

  
Andy fell unceremoniously onto said sofa and she looked up at Miranda. Their eyes connected and the Runway Editor was looking at her with soft, and questioning eyes, with a hint of excitement sparkling in them.

  
 _The young woman liked her?! Thought she was beautiful?! And now couldn't stop staring at me?!_ Miranda had all these things swirling around in her mind as Andrea sadly broke the eye contact when Caroline got her attention again. But that was okay as Miranda didn't some time to wrap her mind around these new thoughts. What if it could possibly be true?! That Andrea did like her and wanted something romantic?! _Oh my_. Miranda thought as she ran a hand through her hair and her heart pounded at the thought.

  
"Mom, are you alright?" Cassidy asked, concern filtering across her face.

  
Miranda opened her eyes and jumped back into action, pulling her emotions back in, and tried to ignore the tingling feeling that was moving through her body at the thought that she could just be lucky enough to have Andrea's hands on her body someday doing wondrous things to her. "I'm alright, sweetheart. Let's watch this movie." she replied to her daughter as she situated herself next to Cassidy on the couch at the left end. Her daughters were in the middle and Andrea all the way on the other right end.

  
The Runway Editor knew that was for the best because had they sat closer she would have been itching to reach out and touch the young woman, and she still wasn't sure if that was what Andrea actually wanted. She could simply have been being polite with her compliment.

  
Once the movie started it wasn't long until her daughters and Andy were laughing at the movie and Miranda found she couldn't help the bubbling of laughter that came up out of her as she had to admit the movie was quite funny. Definitely not a movie she would have picked, but she could appreciate and enjoy it.

  
Miranda knew that if there was anything referenced in the movie that Caroline and Cassidy didn't understand that they would come to her afterwards and ask for an explanation. However she sure still wished that her daughters were interested in cartoons, but understood her daughters were growing quickly which meant their tastes in movies were drastically changing.

  
Miranda was just glad that her daughters weren't watching horrors like their friends did.

  
When the Runway Editor was a little girl she had made the mistake of watching the horror movie The City of the Dead with her older brother when she was only four, and she had been scarred for life. Nightmares had been a nightly thing for many years, and she hadn't been able to sleep in the dark ever since, even today as a grown woman she still needed a night light. It was simply something she had never been able to shake, and it had annoyed her ex-husbands immensely. She wondered what Andrea would think of it.  
Miranda was glad she had been able to shelter her daughters from those terrible nightmares and awful movies. As they reached the age of six however they had started asking questions about what murder was, what did rape mean, etc. Miranda hadn't been sure how to answer those questions because they were still so young, but she had managed to explain in a kid friendly way what they both meant, and from then on they knew that the world didn't consist of only nice people. There were beasts also.

  
Miranda never held anything back from her daughters as she would know they'd find out some other way. As much as she wanted to protect them from all the horrors she knew she could not do that. And by being upfront and honest with all their questions she had raised two mature, steady headed, intelligent young girls.

  
"Andy, have you seen the Romy and Michelle movie with Katherine Heigl in it?" Caroline asked.

  
"Pippa and I did, but we didn't enjoy it as much. Were too hooked on the original." Andy replied. "I don't usually like it when people try to recreate an original movie."

  
"That's usually how it works these days unfortunately." Miranda responded. "I'm a big lover of the original Pride and Prejudice, but I couldn't even get half way through the remake movie. It was utterly appalling."

  
"Oh yeah, we read the reviews for that one and never bothered watching it." Andy said.

  
"And as much as I like Keira Knightly I had to turn the movie off." Miranda added. "She's such a lovely girl though."

  
"They were talking about doing an American version of Tipping the Velvet, but I don't think that's happening anymore thankfully." Andy said. "And I don't like it when I read that a novel I absolutely love is turned into a movie. It's never the same."

  
"Do you like Nicholas Sparks’s novels?" Cassidy asked.

  
"I love them!" Andy replied. "Now all those movie remakes are enjoyable. They're the rare few. Are you a fan of The Notebook?" she asked and as soon as she said it she felt ridiculous because the twins were still young and probably hadn't been allowed to watch it.

  
"Not yet, but I started reading the book." Cassidy replied.  
  


"Oh man, when you can you'll have to watch the movie." Andy said. "It's utterly amazing. Makes me cry every single time."

  
Miranda raised an eyebrow at that. She never understood why people cried at something as mundane as a movie. "I've never seen it, but you have me intrigued."

  
Andy shook her head. "We are definitely going to have to change this."

  
"Maybe we can have a movie night next weekend?" Cassidy asked, looking from Andy to her mom back to Andy again, excitement and hope in her eyes.

  
"Yeah! That sounds awesome!" Caroline piped up from where she stood in the kitchen scooping ice cream into two bowls. "Can we, Mom?"

  
"We'll see, but I'm sure Andrea is probably busy next weekend." Miranda replied.

  
Andy wasn't busy at all. She rarely ever had plans these days since this whole Nate stuff. She had gotten pretty good at being a hermit, only going out when necessary. However she didn't say this as she didn't want to get the twins anymore hopeful if Miranda simply didn't want to see her again after tonight. The brunette loved the sound of another movie night with the Priestly’s and this one hadn't even started yet. She simply loved these women. They were so wonderful to her and it was the first night in three years that she has actually enjoyed herself all thanks to the Priestly's.

  
Andy honestly hadn't expected a night like this earlier when she had forced Miranda to take her with them.

  
"Caroline, Cassidy, go get dressed into your pajamas's so then we can watch the movie." Miranda said to her daughters.

  
"Okay mom!" They both chorused and hurried off to their room.

  
"You should be so proud." Andy said.

  
"Hmm?" Miranda asked.  
  


"You've raised wonderful daughters." Andy explained.

  
"Oh." Miranda replied. "Thank you. But it really hasn't been hard. They're utterly amazing girls."

  
"I can't help but continue thinking back to how my brothers and I acted. We were such hand falls!" Andy said, laughing, and continued. "And yet my Ma never raised her voice. She kept her cool and stayed calm. I don't know how she did it."

  
"She sounds like an amazing woman." Miranda responded.

  
"She really is." Andy said, smiling.

  
"Do you want children someday?" Miranda asked. She figured she might as well ask this question now while they were on the subject and try and find out what Andrea pictured her future to be like.

  
"Honestly, I'm still undecided." Andy replied with a shrug. "Lately I've been leading more towards no. I love kids, don't get me wrong, but I like being able to give them back at the end of the day. Plus I really don't like the idea of being pregnant. I know women say it is a wonderful experience and all that, but I think it looks uncomfortable."

  
"I can understand that." Miranda replied. "I never really saw myself being a mother until I fell pregnant. But when I saw my babies for the first time all my fears about being a bad mother disappeared."

  
Andy nodded, and smiled. "That's sweet." she loved these tid bits into Miranda's life. "However I just can't see it for me, and I don't enjoy being with men anymore, not because of all the Nate shit, excuse the language, but I've always had an attraction for women since a young age. I got together with Nate because I thought it was the right, "normal" thing to do."

  
The brunette was surprised by how honest and open she felt she could be with Miranda when at one stage she had thought the Runway Editor to be standoffish and judgmental. But now that she knew the woman deep down Miranda was a big softie. Andy felt truly lucky that she had been given this opportunity to see this side of Miranda Priestly. She definitely wasn't going to take it for granted as she knew that there were thousands of people who would kill to be in her position.

  
"You know, I reckon you would be a great person for Caroline to talk to if you and she are up for it because she doesn't like being that open with me, and I wonder sometimes what's going through that head of hers." Miranda said, the subject changed slightly.

  
"I have been told many times by my friends and work colleagues that I would make a great counselor. So," Andy shrugged. "If either Caroline or Cassidy ever needed to talk, any time of the day or night, then I'd be more than happy to give them my cell number and email."

  
"Really?" Miranda asked a little surprised thinking that her request would have been denied. "Thank you, Andrea that would be fantastic." she added and Andrea just gave her that sweet million dollar smile.

  
"No worries, Miranda." Andy said, and decided to add. "And I'd be more than happy to give you my number and email also in case you ever wanted to talk about anything."  
Miranda raised an eyebrow at that.

  
"I know someone in your position would find it hard to trust others so I just want you to know that you can trust me one hundred percent, Miranda." Andy said.  
"Oh, Andrea, I definitely knew that already." Miranda said. She had no idea how and why she had gotten so lucky to have Andrea Sachs in her life. She was a breath of fresh air and Miranda loved it.

  
"Are you ready to watch a movie?" Caroline asked as she and Cassidy came bouncing into the room. In their pajamas's. "Cassidy's in the mood for popcorn, but I feel like ice cream."

  
"Popcorn and ice cream it is then." Miranda responded and headed into the kitchen. She grabbed the tub of homemade ice cream from the fridge and set it on the counter to let it defrost whilst Cassidy began filling the popcorn machine with the corn.

  
"I don't know how you guys could possibly be able to eat anything more after that feast we had!" Andy said as she took a seat on one of the stools.

  
"Oh, Andrea. Didn't you know that there's always room for popcorn and ice cream?" Miranda asked.

  
Andy watched as Miranda smirked at her and then laughed. "Wow, what an amazing woman." she said as she ogled the older woman who had turned around and grabbed out a large bowl for the popcorn that was beginning to pop away in the machine. "Well, alright then. I'm in!"  
  
~*~


	4. Chapter 4

~*~  
  
Caroline cheered and held her hand up to high five Andy. "What toppings do you want, Andy?" she asked.

  
"Hmmm, I'm not sure." Andy replied. "What are you going to have?" 

  
"Marshmallows, chocolate chips, sprinkles, and chocolate sauce!" Caroline announced excitedly, her eyes wide with anticipation.

  
Miranda just chuckled and shook her head and she watched as Andrea nodded. 

  
"Alright, then, that's what we'll have for dessert!" Andy said laughingly as she ran a hand through her hair. 

  
"Mom lets us have whatever we want for desert every Sunday nights!" Caroline continued. 

  
"You have an amazing mom, you should feel very lucky." Andy said.

  
"Oh, we certainly do." Caroline said and Cassidy nodded. "Some of our friends’ parents barely spend any time with them, they're raised by their nannies, and we never wanted that."

  
"And I'm so very sorry that's what you felt like was happening for so long." Miranda said. She didn't know how she could ever make up for letting them feel such a thing.   
"It's alright, Mom, we forgive you." Cassidy whispered and wrapped her hands around Miranda.

  
A few minutes later Cassidy was carrying two large bowls of freshly done popcorn from their nifty popcorn machine in the kitchen, and Caroline passed two large bowls of ice-cream to Andy covered with mini marshmallows, chocolate sauce, and chocolate chips. 

  
"Geez, I'm going to be in a food coma by the end of tonight." Andy said. "Don't hate me if I can't eat it all."

  
Caroline laughed. "I could never hate you Andy you're cool. I like you a lot."

  
"Yeah, me too." Cassidy said as she plonked down on the couch next to Andy popcorn going everything.

  
Miranda's eyes widened. That was the first time ever that she had heard Caroline say such a thing about an ex-assistant of hers, aside from Emily Charlton of course whom she knew her daughter had a major crush on, and Caroline had never so openly said this about any of her former husband’s/boyfriends the Runway Editor had brought back to the house since Stephen even though they had been few and far between and she hadn't met anyone since five months ago because she didn't see the point to bring another disappointment into their home, and deep down Miranda knew she didn't want to be with another man. 

  
Sighing Miranda leaned forward and grabbed the DVD player remote. "Are we all ready?" she asked looking down to the end of the couch where Andy sat next to Caroline and the brunette turned to her having felt the Runway Editors eyes on her and smiled. 

  
"Sure am." Andy replied. 

  
Miranda smiled before she clicked the PLAY button, but her eyes never left Andrea's until Cassidy said something drawing Andrea's attention away from hers. Ever since Stephen the older woman never thought she'd find the one person for her, but for some silly reason, Miranda had a feeling she had found that person. 

  
Deciding she was being an old fool Miranda sighed again and told herself that Andrea was simply being polite to her because she wasn't out on the street. Which begged the question that Miranda needed to know. What was going on in Andrea's personal life that had her run out of the city on the Annual Purge night?! 

  
The sound of Andrea's laughter filled her ears. She cleared her throat and turned her attention onto the TV deciding to not dwell on her thoughts any longer. Whatever happened she was determined to enjoy this night and take it for what it is, and whatever happens tomorrow, she would accept and continue with her life the way she has been since Stephen left.

  
~*~

  
"Can we shoot some hoops with Andy before we go to bed?" Caroline asked as the end credits movie filled the room.

  
Miranda leaned back in the sofa and smothered a yawn. Generally she would say no and tell them it was time for bed, but considering they were having a blast with having Andrea here, and it was the purge night, she decided to allow them to stay up for a little longer as it was only 10:30PM. Another half an hour wouldn't hurt.

  
"Yeah, can we, please?" Cassidy asked. "I'm not tired at all!"

  
"If Andrea is feeling up for it then I don't see why not." Miranda responded. After all it would be a good way to exhaust them and they should hopefully want to get to bed faster and sleep a good slumber.  
  


Andy shrugged. "Sounds like fun."

  
"Awesome!" Caroline said jumping up off the sofa. 

  
"I'll work on The Book then." Miranda said as she watched as her girls dragged Andrea out of the couch. She loved the sight of them with Andrea. They would be the perfect family. Miranda paused, her glass halfway to her lips, at the idea of Andrea being a part of their family. 

  
"You alright?" 

  
Andrea's voice filtered into her ears and the Runway Editor whipped her head up to see concerned brown eyes staring into her own from across the room as Caroline hurriedly got the basketball from her room. 

  
Miranda tried to clear her head of her fantasy. "Yes, thank you, I'm fine." 

  
Andy had never heard Miranda say "thank you" as much as she had tonight.

  
Miranda was thinking along the lines of the same thing. 

  
"Okay, good." Andy replied, gave her a smile, before turning around. "Alright then. Let's do this!" she announced and grabbed the basketball from Caroline, and ran away from her, bouncing it on the court.

  
"Hey!" Caroline yelled as she chased after Andy. "You'll regret you decided to do that!"

  
Andy laughed. "Probably." she replied just as she jumped up and aimed for the hoop. It bounced around the hoop a couple of times, but didn't go in. 

  
Cassidy swooped in and got the ball, bounced it a couple times, before throwing it to her twin.

  
"Oi! Two against one isn't fair!" Andy said with mock hurt.

  
"Cassidy's not that good anyway." Caroline said.

  
"Oi!" Cassidy said, and shoved her sister, and grabbed the basketball and aimed for the hoop. It missed. "Dammit!"

  
"Better luck next time!" Caroline said, grabbing the ball, jumping up and placing it in the hoop, and hung off said hoop. "And that's how it's done." she said with a self-satisfied smile as she dropped to the ground.

  
Miranda shook her head at her daughter who was incredibly competitive in this game. She then turned and stared at Andrea. She was well and truly shocked and surprised by Andrea. The woman might be young, 25, and even though this made Miranda a little concerned because the woman was old enough to be her daughter, but Miranda was ignoring that thought as she watched how well the brunette got along with her daughters as if she was just supposed to be there with them all. She fit in perfectly. And Miranda found she didn't want it any other way and wondered how she could incorporate Andrea into their lives after tonight without scaring her away.

  
With that thought she turned her attention back to The Book and shook her head at the first layout she saw. It was atrocious. Everything that could be wrong was wrong. The colours, the fonts, the background, and the models. It would have to be completely redone.

  
"Score!!" Caroline yelled. "What's that?! Ten in a row?!" she asked looking at her twin.  
  


Cassidy nodded as they jumped around Andy bouncing the ball. 

  
The thing about Andy though that they were unaware of that she was much faster than them because of her long legs, and Andy managed to grab the ball from them countless times, and she managed to score six points for her sad one person team. If only they could get Miranda to join in. "Maybe next time." she thought with hope as she looked over her shoulder and saw Miranda writing something down on a sticky note before slapping it onto a page in The Book. Mustn’t be going to well judging by the look on the Runway Editors face.

  
** Fifteen Minutes Later. **

  
"Okay, so remind me to never play basketball with you two again." Andy said as she plopped down onto the sofa with an exhausted huff. "You definitely know how to wear an old person out."

  
Miranda scoffed at that and Andy smirked.

  
"You're not old, Andy!" Caroline said.

  
"That is the most stupid thing I've ever heard." Cassidy said.

  
Andy laughed and shook her head. She definitely felt older after they whipped her ass. But even aside from that these last three years she's felt a lot older than she knew she should, but the Nate shit was dragging her down, and screwing her life up.

  
Miranda looked at the clock above the calendar in the kitchen. "Time for bed you two." she said. "Go and brush your teeth please."

  
"Aww, but I'm not ready yet!" Caroline replied.

  
"Neither am I. I'm not tired!" Cassidy said next.

  
"Another fifteen minutes, please?" Caroline asked with a hopeful expression.

  
"Teeth please." Miranda said, and continued in a tone that said she wouldn't be arguing with them about this tonight. "I've already let you stay up later than usual." 

  
Caroline and Cassidy sighed, but nodded their understanding. "Fiiiine." They chorused before going off to brush your teeth.

  
"Another glass?" Miranda asked noticing Andrea's empty flute glass.

  
"Sure." Andy replied, and Miranda took her glass before wandering over to the fridge. She watched as Miranda leaned down to grab the bottle in the bottom of the door, and could not help the rush of desire that coursed through her body at the sight of the older woman’s ass. Honestly, the woman didn't seem like she was 48 at all with that gloriously sexy body! 

  
Caroline and Cassidy came out of the bathroom then and she watched as Miranda looked up at them suspiciously. "That was quick." 

  
"30 seconds to be exact which is how long you tell us we should brush our teeth for." Caroline responded the more out spoken one of the two.

  
"Alright, go get yourselves settled in and I'll come in shortly to tuck you in." Miranda said as she handed Andrea her glass back practically full to the brim.

  
Was it so obvious how quickly Andy was drinking? She blushed. She couldn't help it. The stuff tasted so good that she couldn't help but drink it like it was cordial. After all she wouldn't get the chance to have this again so she might as well make the most out of it while she could.  
  


"Moooom! We aren't five anymore. We can tuck ourselves in!" Caroline said.

  
Miranda held up her hand in apology and bit her lip. "Sorry, I forgot!" she said. Even though they hardly ever had guests, but when they did they didn't like being embarrassed by having their mom tuck them in. "Oh, how they're growing up." she muttered and she heard Andrea softly chuckle next to her. 

  
"Night Andy. I had so much fun tonight." Caroline said as she put her arms around Andy's waist.

  
"Good night, Caroline. I had a fun time to." Andy replied, squeezing the young girl softly.

  
"Thanks for the great night, Andy." Cassidy said and shyly hugged her.

  
Andy chuckled. "No problem kiddo, maybe we can do it again sometime."

  
"I hope so." Cassidy whispered.

  
"Sweet dreams." Andy said.

  
Miranda smiled at the touching scene and her heart fluttered. Oh yes, she definitely wanted another night like this with Andrea. 

  
"I used to be like that when my parents had their friends over." Andy said smiling as they watched the twins scurry off to their rooms. "Which was quite often actually."

  
Miranda smiled. "I was quite the same, but some nights my parents allowed me to stay up with them. I remember feeling so special especially when I was allowed to have a small glass of red wine watered down with soda water. It was always so great." she said ending with a chuckle.

  
"I was allowed to try my Dads beer every now and then, but I never used to like it until I was sixteen. I never liked red wine, always scrunched my nose up at it, until my twenty first." Andy said. "I was an absolute wreck that night!" she said giggling. "I think we started drinking at 11 in the morning."

  
"Oh my god." Miranda said. "I could picture that, I must say."

  
Andy smirked. "You know, I could easily you picture being a part of our drunken nights back home. Every Saturday my parents have their friends around, things get hilariously messy."

  
Miranda didn't know what she should say to that, but thankfully she didn't have to say anything as Andrea started talking again. Honestly the woman was so beautiful. 

  
"This Moet is to die for. It's such a unique flavour. I could definitely get used to it. It's a shame I can drink it more often."

  
"I wish I could share more with you." Miranda thought, but did not say. "Maybe a movie night next weekend would be nice if you're free and interested?" Miranda asked. "But it's alright if you aren't. I will understand. I know the girls are quite a handful."

  
But Andrea smiled widely at her, the smile always reached her sparkling brown eyes, and Miranda loved the little crinkles that formed around her eyes when she did. It told Miranda that this was one happy woman who loved having a good time laughing. 

  
"I would love to." Andy replied as they moved over to the couch. 

  
"Good. I'll let you know what day suits." Miranda responded as she sat down on the sofa the same spot she had occupied earlier, and Andrea did the same. 

  
Andy noticed The Book that Miranda had been deep concentration on for the past half hour while she and the girls played basketball that had been left opened on the middle of the grey sofa. "May I..." she trailed off as she put her glass of champagne down on the coffee table as Miranda gave her a nod of approval.

  
Miranda watched in silent contemplation as the brunette picked up the Runway mock-up and began carefully perusing it. 

  
"Oh wow, Cate Blanchett looks amazing in that Versace suit." Andy said.

  
Miranda nodded her agreement.

  
"Have you seen her new movie Babel?" Andy asked. "Pippa told me it's really good."

  
Miranda shook her head in the negative. "But I have been meaning to. I got a copy of it the other month just haven't had any time to sit and watch it. You know, we might actually have it here though I think I recall asking Caroline to put it in the box of things I brought down here a few months back if you're interested in watching it now?"  
"Sure, sounds good." Andy replied.

  
"Great. I'll see if I can find it." Miranda responded.

  
"If you can't then just chuck whatever else on that you want. I don't mind." Andy said.

  
"Okay." Miranda murmured and stood from the sofa. She took a sip of her bubbly before setting her flute glass onto the table. "Be back in a sec."

  
Andy nodded as she continued to flip through The Book and smirked and chuckled at some of Miranda's notes.

  
_"Utterly terrible, have you not been listening to me at all?"_

_  
"What colour even is that? Change it!"_

_  
"No, no, no. What are you, a moron? What is with the floral background? It's winter!"_

_  
"NO."_

_  
"Get rid of the puppy. Seriously, do I really need to come down to these shoots and fix it myself?"_

_  
"Get rid of the model. She looks horrible in that light."_

_  
_The last one made Andy snort.

_  
"YOU. ARE. FIRED."_

  
Miranda dug around in the boxes in her closet and all the while she couldn't wipe the smile off of her face. She couldn’t help but feel like thanking Nate for following Andrea upstate to that Gas Station and helping her reunite with Andrea.

  
"Ahh, gotcha!" Miranda said as she spotted the DVD of the Academy Award winning movie.

  
"Found it." The Runway Editor announced as she walked out of the bedroom and back into the main area finding Andrea where she had left her still looking through the mock-up. 

  
Andy was loving it. She knew she was incredibly lucky to get this quick insight into Miranda's work. "Thank you for letting me look at this." she said as Miranda knelt down in front of the TV cabinet and opened up the DVD player.

  
"You don't need to thank me, Andrea." Miranda murmured with a roll of her eyes as she opened up the case. "Oh." she said as she stared inside the empty case. "That's strange. The disc isn't in here."

  
Andy laughed. "Mr Nobody must have taken it?" 

  
Miranda snorted as she chuckled, and she blushed instantly. Champagne made her snort more easily. "I doubt the girls would have watched it, they've never expressed a desire to see It." she said as she tapped two fingers against her lips in contemplation. "I did have my next door neighbour, Natalie, stay with us for the weekend a month ago as she's been having troubles with her parents. She must have watched it, and forgot to take the disc out of the DVD player."

  
Andy watched as Miranda reclosed the case and placed it on the TV cabinet. 

  
"Sorry about this." Miranda said as she stood from where she knelt. "I doubt there’s anything worth watching on the tv, and I hate watching the news channels where they show what's going on around the country. I still can't believe they live stream everything." she took a pause to sip her drink. "And don't even get me started on those so called news reporters sitting there talking and laughing at what they're seeing. Robert Stinson is the worst."

  
"I've met him a few times. He's as disgusting as he sounds. Rumour has it that once he clocks off from the news he goes to a very high profile auction where you can purchase women to do whatever you please with." Andy said. "Absolutely sickening." 

  
"You've got that bloody right. It baffles me how the world has ended up this way." Miranda responded as she sat back down on the sofa. "And unfortunately it'll probably only end up getting worse."

  
"No doubt." Andy said, finishing her glass. "I'm just glad my parents and siblings are safe back home. That's one less thing I have to worry about. What about your family?" she questioned, hoping Miranda would mind. "Sorry, you don't have to answer that."

  
Miranda shook her head. "It’s alright." she said as she stood again and held a hand out for Andrea's glass to be refilled. "My mother is in a nursing home completely senile, but I've made sure the facility has the best and newest security system, and my brother passed a few years ago, so that only leaves my sister, Rebecca, who lives in Brussels with her husband and two children. We email every once in a while, and last I knew her husband had built them a bunker just out of town on the block of land he owns, and didn't want my charity."

  
"My sister and I were never close so I'm not surprised she didn't want my help, but I thought maybe so she could provide her sons the security." Miranda said with a sad sigh. "I've never even met my nephews. I don't even know what they look like. I've only ever seen photos of when they were babies."

  
"Wow that must be tough." Andy replied, and reached over and rested her hand on Miranda's, squeezing the Runway Editors hand. "Did you want to talk about it?"

  
Miranda shook her head. "Thank you, but no. It's a long story, and I just don't feel like getting in to that tonight."

  
"That's fair enough. Maybe next time." Andy said, squeezing Miranda's hand one more time before letting go. She was never one to pressure someone into speaking or doing something they don't want to. She watched as Miranda shut the tv off and sat back in the couch running her finger around the rim of her glass.

  
"Thank you for being so understanding."

  
Miranda said and she had spoken so softly that Andy had to lean closer to be able to hear.

  
"I've never met anyone like you before." Miranda said, turning to face the young brunette. "You're not like the rest of them. I can see in your eyes that you actually care." 'Care for me, for my daughters.'

  
Andy opened her mouth to speak, but Miranda spoke again.

  
"Another refill?" Miranda asked. "Help yourself to the bottle in the fridge. I'm just going to use the loo." 

  
Andy nodded. "Okay, thanks." she responded, and watched as the Runway Editor stood, and wandered off into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. The older woman had seemed oddly nervous or of a sudden and had clearly felt the need to leave the room to collect herself again. 

  
Shrugging Andy decided to not over think it and stood from the couch with both of their flute glasses and wandered over to the stainless steel double door fridge with the fancy smancy ice dispenser in the front. Her ma had always wanted a fridge like this, but they have never been able to afford one, other expenses always getting in the way.

  
Once their glasses were topped up Andy sipped on it and looked around at the large area. She was still in absolute awe of the place. It was done so brilliantly, and so secretly. No one would ever think that it was here underneath a rundown shack. The journalist knew it would have cost Miranda a shit tonne, but in the long run it's obviously worth it. She simply marveled at how lucky the Runway Editor was.

  
She walked over to the pool table and ran her fingers across the green felt.

  
"Do you think maybe he thinks the felt is grass?!" Kate Hudson's voice from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days came to mind, and caused her to chuckle. It was another favourite of Pippa and hers.

  
"Do you play?" Miranda asked as she spotted Andrea standing next to the pool table, running her fingers along the green felt.

  
Andy slowly looked up at Miranda. "Oh, I love it. I grew up playing pool with my parents and siblings." Andy responded, continuing. "I remember fondly playing and having to stand on chairs and step ups so I could reach the table." she chuckled. "My Dad even made my siblings and me our own pool cues that weren't too big or too small for us that we could hold comfortably and play a good game."

  
Miranda smiled. "Sounds like a lovely memory."

  
"Yeah, it is." Andy said. "Did you want to have a game?"

  
"I was about to ask you the same question." Miranda said. "But be warned I'm pretty professional at it. My second husband and I, the one I mentioned earlier, occasionally dabbled in pool gambling. It was quite fun at the time, but now as I look back I don't think we should ever have stepped foot in that place because my ex-husband wouldn't have ended up to his neck in debt." 

  
Andy understood where Miranda's line of thought must be going. That she felt partly to blame for her ex getting addicted to gambling. "I'm sure that's not the case whether you introduced him to it or not. It's not your fault. He was the one who thought it was a good idea to foolishly blow all his money." she responded, continuing. "I just hope he wasn't stupid enough to use any of your hard earned money."

  
"Unfortunately he did. I realised he had taken over thirty thousand from my bank. That's what ended the marriage. I won't stand for thieves and liars." Miranda said.

  
"You'll be glad to know I'm none of those things except for the odd harmless white lie." Andy said. "Like earlier tonight." she added quietly.

  
"Oh, pray tell?" Miranda asked.  
  


"About the bear rug in my parents lounge room." Andy murmured. 

  
"That it's actually real?" Miranda questioned and without waiting for Andrea to speak again she nodded her head. "I know. I could tell by the look on your face when you were telling the twins."

  
Andy raised an eyebrow. She didn't think she'd been that easy to read.

  
"Your emotions are like an open book, darling." Miranda murmured. Once she realised she had used that term of endearment she turned around quickly her face turning a deep shade of red. "Oh god!" she thought to herself. What was Andrea going to think of that?!

  
"I'll break, gorgeous." Andy said, smirking, as she watched Miranda nod whilst still turned away from her as the Editor ran a hand through her iconic hair before breaking the balls on the pool table. She watched as the colourful balls went in each and every direction and she pocketed two of the same sized balls. "Smalls I am then." she said before rounding the table and "accidentally" brushing past Miranda. She heard the older woman’s breath catch and Andy smirked again. "Oh, she was really getting under the Editor skin, wasn't she?!"

  
Andy already knew what balls she wanted to pocket and did just that putting another two in the two back pockets. She then realised she was snookered between two of Miranda's balls, and she wasn't sure how she was going to get to one of her own without touching Miranda's. She studied the table for a few seconds before just decided to take a leap of faith and whacked the white ball into the left side of the table watching as it hit the other side and then the back side of the table before hitting one of Miranda's. "Ugh, dammit!" she muttered. She had been so close to hitting one of her small balls, but not good enough.

  
"Better luck next time." Miranda said, smirking, as she studied the table after recovering from her extremely blushed face. She had three options. Two of them simple and easy, aim for the other end of the table and pocket the purple and white striped ball into the right pocket or the yellow and white striped ball in the center into the center side pocket. The hardest shot was to get around the black ball and sink the yellow and white striped ball that was behind the black. The Runway Editor decided to do just that albeit a little nervously as she hadn't played this game for quite some time.

  
Miranda wasn't sure what it was about the brunette, but the other woman was getting under her skin too easily, and Miranda knew if she wasn't careful she would let Andrea do so and completely break through her walls she had put up to protect her heart as she had allowed to trust her heart one too many times to people who never deserved that from her as they had ended up breaking her heart and trust with their betrayal, stabbing her in the back to get higher up on the work chain, using Miranda's heart strings to do so. Or the person she had been with had simply tired from being with her and left because the excitement of the new relationship had disappeared.

  
It was now super hard for Miranda to trust people because she never knew what they actually wanted from her. Did they want an amazing reference for a new job? To get higher up on the ladder? To get a raise in their pay? Or to truly win her heart and keep it forever? 

  
The Runway Editor wondered if she would ever find the latter as in the end everyone would realise that she wasn't exciting at all that she was in fact a boring mother of two unruly prankster twin daughters that were getting older and moodier with every passing day.

  
Andrea Sachs was making her nervous because Miranda started thinking that maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to let her wall down for Andrea as she could tell Andrea was 100% genuine, and this scared Miranda. Was she really ready to let someone new in her life again so soon after Stephen?

  
Miranda sighed and pulled the pool cue back and then forward whacking the white ball and watching it fly down the table, hitting the back, and tapping the yellow ball and she watched as it made its way into the left back pocket.

  
Andy clapped and bowed after Miranda completed the risky and complicated shot. "Wow that was amazing."

  
"I did warn you, remember?" Miranda said, heart pounding from the way Andrea was looking at her.

  
"That was really, really good! You proved that you're a good player of pool, but how good are you at getting around those other balls of mine and the black?" Andy questioned as she looked pointedly at the white ball that was surrounded by Andy's.

  
Miranda shrugged. "Let's find out." she responded leaning down and she decided to just aim for the back wall of the table the white ball hit it, and they both watched as it hit her orange ball and it fell into the right pocket at the end they were stood at.

  
Andy clapped, but bit her lip as Miranda was back in the same snookered position as she had been a few seconds ago, and this time Miranda had no balls she could aim for. "I suppose I could let you aim backwards if you like."

  
"No, no." Miranda replied, shaking her head. "I'm not going to allow you to give me the game. I'm no cheater." she added as she did the exact same as she had before and aimed the white ball down the other end of the table and it hit the back wall before rolling back down towards them hitting that wall and then touching the black. She breathed in and exhaled. "Oh well." she murmured.

  
"Nice try." Andy whispered to Miranda her stood very close to her. "But, it looks like the game will be mine."

  
"Oh, darling." Miranda began chuckling. "Don't get too cocky now."

  
Andy began laughing as well. "Oh, I don't get cocky unless I know I got this, and I know I've got this." she responded.

  
Miranda just raised an eyebrow. "I hope you don't end up eating your words. How embarrassing that will be when I actually win the game." she said as she stared straight into Andrea's eyes.

  
Andy swallowed hard as they kept eye contact for longer than necessary. She chuckled then albeit nervously, and quickly broke the eye contact, turning her gaze back to the pool table, studying her options.

  
Knowing what ball she wanted to aim for Andy leaned down purposely perking her ass up a little more than was necessary, and could swear she felt Miranda's eyes glued to her ass, and Andy knew she had a good ass. She smirked as she took her shot watching as the white ball aimed for one of her own and pocketing said ball. She moved slightly to the left closer to Miranda, and their bodies were practically touching. She got her green ball into the center side pocket. She now only had two balls left. Her red and the black. Both balls positioned in her favour thanks to her careful striking of the white ball. She pocketed the red ball, and the white ball came to a stop behind the black ball, but it was in a position where she could aim down towards Miranda. They were only able to strike the ball in one direction. 

  
"How are those words starting to taste?" Miranda asked from down the other end.

  
Andy ignored those words as Miranda started laughing. 

  
"What do you think you're going to do now?" Miranda asked. "I could always give you a tip."

  
"Uh, uh, stop talking. I gotta concentrate." Andy said, looking over at Miranda in annoyance.

  
Miranda bit her lip and held her hands up. "Ooops, my bad!" she responded and couldn't help but chuckle again as she could see that she was getting under Andrea's skin now. Looks like the tables had turned, she thought.

  
They played another two games with Miranda ultimately winning in the end. If Miranda was honest she had a feeling that Andrea had let her because that last shot Andrea should have pocketed easily without the white ball following in.

  
Andy collapsed down onto the couch. "Ahhh, this sofa is sooo comfy!" she said with a hum of delight, and she closed her eyes.

  
Miranda watched the young woman as she sat with her eyes closed for a few seconds. "If you're tired the guest bed is already." she said, but at those words, Andrea sat up and shook her head. 

  
"Oh, no, I'm not tired one bit." Andy replied. "I was just thinking how lucky I am."

  
Miranda raised an eyebrow. "How do you mean?" she asked. 

  
"To be here, with you, to see you like this. Calm and relaxed. I know not many people get to see this side of you and I'm just so extremely grateful." Andy said, and their eyes met. "You're truly one of a kind, Miranda Priestly." 

  
Miranda's heart fluttered and she found she was utterly speechless. She didn't know why on earth Andrea thought of her this way, but she thanked her lucky stars that Andrea Sachs did. "Maybe something more can come from this night..." Miranda thought, and a smile tugged at her lips. "You're far too kind." 

  
Andy waved the words away. "Just truthful, and I mean everything I've said to you tonight, Miranda."

  
"I believe you." Miranda said. "Honestly, aside from the girls, Eric and Emily, you're the only other person I can fully trust."

  
Andy smiled at those words. Knowing Miranda had one hundred percent trust in her made her so extremely happy.   
  
  
~*~


	5. Chapter 5

~*~  
  
They both sat back into the sofa and they fell silent for a while.  
  
Miranda was never one for silence like this with someone because she always found it awkward and never knew what she should say or do, but with Andrea it was different. She didn't feel the need to say anything or leave the room like she had with her ex-husbands. So, Miranda just sat there and simply enjoyed the quiet with Andrea.  
  
Andy was the first to break the silence though as she began chuckling. "Oh my god, I've never heard a dog snore so loudly in my life!" she announced as she looked over the couch at Patricia who was sleeping soundly on the mat in front of the staircase as if guarding the bunker. "And here I thought our dogs back home snored loudly. How wrong I was." she said laughing again.  
  
Miranda chuckled softly, but remained silent, content to just enjoy the moment, and did not mind at all when Andrea started speaking again.  
  
"I showed you pictures of our dogs, didn't I?" Andy asked.  
  
Miranda nodded. "I think I saw one. The Golden Retriever."  
  
"Oh! Dusty, yeah, we got her first." Andy said.  
  
"Why Dusty, if you don't mind my asking?" Miranda questioned.  
  
"When we first got her, she was only a puppy, and she got into the fire place we never use, and well, got extremely dirty hence the name." Andy replied. "Then we got Boomer about five months later. She's a Siberian husky, and as you can imagine, can be extremely noisy with the howling etc., but it doesn't matter as the ranch is in the middle of nowhere, and she's a good dog and very obedient."  
  
"Great dogs." Miranda murmured. "I had always contemplated getting one, but couldn't because of having the townhouse and the yard is far too small for a dog with that stamina. Whereas with Patricia I've never had to worry about her getting bored and restless and try to find ways to escape. She's just content to lay around the house and only goes out the back when the weather is nice and sunny."  
  
"Fat and lazy I heard Caroline say about Patricia once." Andy said.  
  
Miranda snorted. "Pretty much, yes, but her weight is perfect for her breed."  
  
"She must cost a fortune to feed." Andy commented.  
  
"Very, but again I'm very fortunate I can afford it, and lucky to have a butchers around the corner from the townhouse that put all kinds of meats aside for Patricia, but her favourite is chicken necks." Miranda said, and scrunched her nose up. "Honestly, I don't know why, but oh well."  
  
Andy chuckled some more at that. "You won't want to hear this then I'm sure, but my great grandmother used to make soups with chicken necks. Apparently it gave the soup extra flavour. I thought it was barf worthy."  
  
"Oh my goodness! You ate it?!" Miranda asked, hand covering her mouth in shock and slight disgust.  
  
"I had to! I couldn't be rude!" Andy said, and sipped her champagne. "I was quite young, but I remember sitting at the dinner table one evening at my grandma's when her ma was still alive, and we all sat down for her soup for entree even though quite a few of us didn't like the taste."  
  
Miranda couldn't help but begin laughing at that.  
  
"She was like fucking 98 and still insisted on cooking for us." Andy said. "She never backed down until she had to because she was on her deathbed. She was pretty legendary."  
  
Miranda smiled. "She definitely sounds like it. One of a kind."  
  
Andy smiled at her, their eyes connected and both were sparkling.  
  
All Miranda could think of was how sexy Andrea sounded when she said fucking it had made Miranda's mouth go dry, and a rush of desire flood through her and settle in her sex. She swallowed at where her line of thought was going as she trailed her eyes down Andrea's face to those luscious lips then to the hinting cleavage of her shirt before back up to her eyes. She cleared her throat and turned away. She shouldn't be thinking like this as there was no way Andrea would be interested in an old fool like her.  
  
"I can never sleep on the purge night." Miranda said, changing the subject. "Too worried about how the future is going to be, what sort of life my daughters are going to have." she added before covering her mouth with her hand and looking at Andrea with wide eyes. "Oh my god. I'm sorry. Here I am going on about not being able to sleep and worrying about the future when, and I only say this because it was kind of hard to not notice, if that bruise on your wrist is anything to go by then you've obviously been putting up with much worse than I these last couple of years. If you want to talk about it, you can if not that's fine, but Andrea whatever is going on please let me help you."  
  
When Andrea remained quiet Miranda bit her lip. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything." she said softly. She was always one to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. She would never learn.  
  
Andy waved the older woman’s words away. "It's alright, honestly."   
  
Miranda breathed in deeply. Well, Andrea at least didn't seem annoyed with her.  
  
"Ever since I got the job as your assistant my relationship with my boyfriend, Nate-"  
  
"The cook boy?" Miranda chimed in asking.  
  
Andy nodded. "Yeah, that's him. Our relationship changed. It wasn't the same anymore because I was growing and changing into the woman I'm thankful to be today, and Nate could never handle that and how we were growing apart. We broke up before I left for Paris. We met up after I came back, and we sort of fell back into old dynamics for a while until I realised we were only meant to be friends. Being just friends worked well and when he got let off at his new job in Boston and had to move back to Manhattan I happily let him stay in the spare bedroom of my new apartment because I couldn't live with myself if I had of kicked him out onto the street. Living together as friends seemed to be going well until I met someone, her name was Courtney and we had a fairly good connection and it was nice to be with someone again. I thought Nate was okay with it because he had moved on with someone else too, but apparently that wasn't the case, and he hated seeing me with Courtney, and then when Courtney and I broke up because she met someone else new and exciting I ended up having a brief relationship with Jason, he worked in Trader Joe's and was a decent guy, but in the end he wanted something more serious that I wasn't able to give him and so I was single again. Nate relaxed and wasn't as intense in the apartment anymore until one night he came home blind drunk." she stopped to gulp down some Moet. "He crawled into my bed and forced himself onto me. This continued for a couple of weeks, but then he stopped. I thought okay he got whatever that was out of his system, and I didn't see him again. That was until the first Purge night."   
  
Miranda noticed Andrea's hands were shaking now.   
  
"That was a living nightmare. I didn't know what to do, I couldn't stop him, and he was too strong." Andy said, lips quivering. "He was ferocious, but it wasn't just the Purge night, he appeared every once in a while and took out his anger on me. I hadn't been surprised he was capable of doing this because when we first got together he hit me, it was only the once and it seemed like an accident so I blocked it out of my mind and never thought of it again until all of this started happening. My mom always did warn me about him, that there was something about him she hadn’t liked, but I never listened. Thinking back I should have taken her advice and left him when I had the chance." But then I would never have met the phenomenal Miranda Priestly.  
  
Miranda wanted to reach out and grab Andrea's hand, but she did not. She wasn't sure how Andrea would react to that.   
  
"Last month he threatened to silence me if I didn't take him back, and I left the city instantly. I had been hiding upstate ever since, but he somehow found me. I saw him in that gas station yesterday afternoon, panicked, saw you and hid my face and forced you to take me with you because I knew you wouldn't have done it if you knew it was me because of the whole Paris thing." Andy said, swallowed hard, before continuing.   
  
Miranda noticed that the young brunette’s whole body was shaking now. "I would like to help you, Andrea. I have connections with the Police that I could refer you to for a meeting tomorrow, and you can talk with them and see how you can put an end to it." Miranda said and continued. "You don't deserve any of what he's doing to you, Andrea."  
  
"I have been such a coward for allowing him to hurt and taunt me these last couple years, but I didn't know how I could put a stop to it, so I toughened up and put up with him letting it drag on and on and now I'm too scared to face him because I have no idea what he will do now that I know he's capable of doing monstrous things." Andy said, tears welling in her eyes.  
  
"Oh, Andrea." Miranda softly said, now only daringly placing her hand on Andrea's.   
  
"The sad part was that I made myself get used to the whole thing." Andy whispered, tears welling in her eyes. "I accepted it for what it was. I put it in my head that I was the one who had hurt him and had made him do this."   
  
Miranda squeezed Andrea's hand. "It is definitely not your fault. You need to rid your mind of that right now." she said firmly.  
  
"I'm extremely grateful that you've let me into your private bunker even though I did frighten you at first. I am truly sorry for that." Andy said, placing her other hand atop Miranda's and squeezed gently.  
  
Miranda shook her head. "None of that matters now. All that matters is that you're safe here with Me." she responded. "And the girls." she quickly added, swallowing hard. It was getting harder and harder to keep her emotions and feelings for the young woman to herself when Andrea was sitting so close to her.  
  
"I don't know how I'm ever going to repay you for your generosity." Andy whispered, turning to face Miranda. She swallowed hard when she found that they had both moved closer to each other on the couch, and their heads were practically touching.  
  
"You don't need to repay me, Andrea." Miranda whispered. "There was no way I could leave you out on the street to suffer. I'm not that cold contrary to what people may say."  
  
Andy smiled, and chuckled. "I hate how cruel the media is towards you." she said, and took a deep breath, before raising her hand and pushing that iconic lock of hair out of the Runway Editors eye.  
  
Miranda's breath caught as she then felt Andrea's hand trail down from her forehead to cup her cheek.  
  
"You're so beautiful." Andy breathed before she realised what she was doing and slowly took her hand away. She looked away sadly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."  
  
"No." Miranda said, grabbing Andrea's hand and placing it back on her cheek. "I don't want you to be sorry you did that." she murmured and saw the surprise and then happiness cross the brunettes face causing Andrea to smile beautifully at her.  
  
"You're absolutely stunning." Andy whispered. "I've thought this ever since the first day I saw you."  
  
Miranda stared in awe at the young woman. Andrea Sachs was utterly perfect, and she never thought she would have a chance with her like this.  
  
The older woman was overcome with such a strong desire for Andrea. She wanted to feel Andrea. Touch Andrea with her hands and mouth. Kiss her all over. Make her feel nothing more but beautiful just the way she deserved to be treated. Like a woman. Not an object that can be man handled and treated with disrespect and violence. She absolutely hated knowing that this glorious human being had been treated so extremely badly for the last two and a half years. She knew after tonight that she would do whatever she possibly could to help Andrea so that she never has to feel Nate lay a hand on her again.  
  
  
"You're so wonderful." Miranda breathed. "I just want to..." she trailed off, leaning forward towards the brunette's gorgeously flushed face as she heard how breathless the woman was, as Andrea leaned in as well, their mouths meeting in a soft curious union. Their lips softly and hesitantly exploring each other before tongues dared to peak out of their mouths and began to dance together.  
  
"I want to taste all of you." Miranda whispered.  
  
"Oh god." Andy moaned, her hands shaking as she ran them through Miranda's hair and then stopped to cup Miranda's face. "Please." she said, the look in her eyes was all Miranda needed.  
  
Miranda moaned, smiled, and began kissing Andrea again before pushing the brunette down onto the couch. She dimmed the lights even more then kneeled in front of Andrea, hands on Andrea's knee's as she leaned forward and they kissed some more whilst her hands began running up and down Andrea's thighs before moving further up the woman’s body and massaging her breasts.  
  
"Oh god, you're incredible." Andy murmured as Miranda kissed her with the most exquisite and talented strong tongue. She moaned at the thought of said tongue teasing her down south. She could already feel her desire for Miranda to be inside her rush and settle between her legs as Miranda was again running the backs of her fingers up and down her thighs making her even more excited.  
  
In a flash Andy watched as Miranda began unbuttoning her jeans and pulling down the zipper.  
  
"Oh god, it was about to happen!" Andy thought, moaning softly mindful that the girls were on the other side of the hide-out apartment. She pushed her lower body up in the air to help Miranda pull her jeans off as they were quite tight. She tried to not let any of her nerves sink in now about her weight and that she was no Runway model, and told herself that the critical editor wouldn't be about to go down on her if she thought Andy was "fat".  
  
"You're so stunning." Miranda murmured as if feeling Andy's anxieties. "I can smell your desire. I can't wait any longer, I must have you."  
  
Andy swallowed hard, and nodded. "Take me. I'm all yours." she whispered, her throat dry. She couldn't believe her luck as she watched Miranda look at her with so much awe and desire in her eyes as she took off her purple La Perla panties.  
  
"I really love these." Miranda said before tossing them aside. "They suit you."  
  
"Thank you." Andy managed to say before she watched Miranda lower her head to her sex that she knew was no doubt glistening wet. That's definitely how it felt anyhow.  
  
"But you suit being like this better. Just you. Open and willing to let me have you." Miranda murmured as she leaned down and peppered kisses along Andrea's abdomen and up her stomach. "You smell delightful." she whispered.  
  
"Please." Andy whined. "Take me. Have me. I'm yours." she begged, not caring at all how desperate she sounded. She had been waiting for this moment to happen for so long now.  
  
"You're very eager for me, aren't you, Andrea?" Miranda asked teasingly running her fingers up and down the inside of Andrea's thighs delighting in how Andrea squirmed under her touch, moaning softly.  
  
Their eyes stayed connected the whole time. "God yes, Miranda. I've wanted you for so long. Tell me you believe me?"  
  
"Oh darling, I do believe. Very much so or else I wouldn't be between your legs right now." Miranda murmured, and with those words she leaned down and took her first taste of the brunette, putting her tongue flat on Andrea's vagina, sliding her muscle up and down slowly and surely.  
  
Miranda could feel Andrea's legs starting to shake vigorously now.  
  
"I've dreamed of this for so long." Andy breathed, but hadn't been sure if Miranda had actually heard. She moaned some more. "God, you feel amazing."  
  
Andy couldn't believe that this was actually happening. Sure it had been one thing to have kissed the older woman, but this? This was a whole other thing that she had only dared to dream, but never allowed herself to believe it could actually happen.  
  
It was like a switch had flicked inside Miranda's brain and the older woman couldn't stop herself.  
  
Oh, but Andy was so glad. She didn't want this to stop. Ever. But unfortunately Andy, embarrassingly, couldn't hold her climax for much longer. She blushed furiously knowing Miranda hadn't been between her legs for more than two minutes. "I'm so close." she said, and moaned, before she couldn't stop it. She let go. She let all of her emotions out there as she moaned Miranda's name.  
  
"Miranda that was... you're amazing and so surprising." Andy said, falling back into the sofa, eyes closed and very breathless. She tried to control her breathing as her mind swirled with so many thoughts. "I've been dreaming of this moment for so long." she said, more loudly this time, and continued. "My god, I've been able to picture a future with you for a long time now. You're so wonderful, I want to make you happy always, like I've seen in you tonight. You're so wonderful, Miranda, let me make you feel the way you made me feel just now. I want to do that to you. Let me lo-" Andy stopped then, and froze, upon realising what she had been about to say.  
  
"Let me love you."  
  
Andy had been about to say the two words she knew she could not say. It was far too soon, and for all she knew this was a bit of fun for Miranda. She opened her eyes and saw Miranda leaning back on her heels, and the older woman wasn't looking at her. She couldn't look at her.  
  
Miranda's mouth opened and closed. She was lost for words. She shook her head, and stood on shaky legs. "I can't do this. This shouldn't have happened."  
  
At those words Andy's mouth opened. Nice on, Sachs. She thought as she watched as Miranda hastily retreated from the room into the girls' bathroom. Well, that was a night ruined thanks to Andy's big mouth.  
  
The brunette woman closed her eyes and rubbed them furiously. Of course she would be the one to screw everything up once again. Leaning forward she grabbed her jeans, which she had put on earlier replacing the Nike sweatpants she knew Miranda thought to be ugly, and pulled them up her slender legs. She stood and zipped them up before looking around sadly.  
  
It had been a good night, and it was a night she would never forget. "Thanks for the memories." she whispered sadly.  
  
Sighing she headed for the bathroom. A quick shower was in order before she made her exit because there was no way she could stay here after she had embarrassed herself so majorly. It was one thing to have had Miranda Priestly kiss and perform cunnilingus on you, but it was a whole other thing to think she could be in love with you too.  
  
Andy had never felt more stupid and humiliated in her entire life.  
  
With that she closed the bathroom door behind her, hoping Miranda wouldn't mind she used the shower quickly, before shedding herself from her clothes and getting into the shower. She was sad to be washing Miranda's scent off of her, but it would be too hard for Andy to continue to smell Miranda all night knowing she couldn't be with her ever again.  
~*~  
Miranda stared at herself in the mirror. So many thoughts were swirling around her mind. She couldn't believe she had been so foolish and had done what she'd just done. It was utterly ridiculous. She couldn't have a future with a 25 year old! She would be asking Andrea to give up everything for her. She would be selfish if she allowed that to happen.  
  
But oh how lovely it had been to kiss Andrea, and to make her feel heavenly. What she had just done she would do over and over and over again to make Andrea happy, and forget all the pain Nathan has caused her.  
  
However Miranda's worries about the whole situation were too strong, and weren't allowing her to push them aside and just go for it. There were too many things to consider. She didn't care what the media would say about her, but she knew it would have a major impact on Andrea's life and her career she was still only just starting.  
  
Not to mention Miranda was 48 years old! Divorced two times, two children, and a body that shows that. Her expensive clothes might let on that she had everything, but underneath Miranda Priestly was simply an aging woman, and she knew that once Andrea saw this the young brunette would realise what a mistake she had made in thinking she liked Miranda and would run the other way.  
  
Miranda Priestly might be a strong woman in the work place, but behind closed doors, revealing her all she wasn't strong. Her emotions always taking over and doubting everything. She didn't want to see the look of disgust on Andrea's face so she would push the brunette away sacrificing her happiness and Andrea from humiliating her.  
  
With that she leaned down and cupped her hands under the running water, splashing her face with the cold liquid. Pushing Andrea away was for the best. Even if she did let Andrea see her all, and Andrea weren't to freak out, then there would just be something else that would happen down the line where she would do something to push Andrea away again, and Miranda didn't want to hurt Andrea with her words like she has done in her marriages.  
  
Grabbing a bottle of green liquid she washed her mouth with Listerine needing to get the taste of Andrea out of her mouth. She couldn't dwell on this any longer. She had made her choice, and it was for the best. Gargling the liquid she swished it around before spitting it out. She then rinsed her mouth with water before patting her lips dry and exiting the room.  
  
Miranda walked over to her eldest bed where she saw a slumbering Caroline. She could hear Cassidy awake on the other side of the room with music softly playing through her ear buds as she read a book on her side facing the wall. At least one of them could sleep on this night she thought as she watched Caroline sleep, steady and even breathing as her chest rise and fell.  
  
"Sleep tight, bobbsey." Miranda whispered, leaning down and placing a kiss on Caroline's forehead. She had been about to stand when she couldn't help but notice a very familiar face sketched in her daughters journal.  
  
Knowing she shouldn't, but did so anyway, the Runway Editor leaned forward and grabbed the journal from where it had fallen to the ground out of her daughters limp hand hanging out of her bed. She took in the amazingly drawn picture of Emily Charlton. Her daughter definitely had talent.  
  
Above the sketch was Caroline's hand writing.  
  
**My love. One day you will be mine.**  
  
And next to the words was a love heart.  
  
Underneath the sketch of Emily was a poem.  
  
Miranda told herself to close the journal as she was never that kind of mother, she never pried and snooped around her daughter’s bedroom. She trusted them one hundred percent and knew they wouldn't do anything silly.  
  
But Miranda's curiosity got the better of her, and loving every poem her daughter would read to her proudly once she finished them, was a little disappointed that Caroline hadn't shared this one with her when she has known that her daughter has a huge crush on Emily Charlton and that didn't matter to Miranda. However it was obvious it ran deeper than just a crush and this worried Miranda completely because it was only a matter of time until Caroline's heart would break to pieces when her dream would be shattered.  
  
**You've Stolen My Heart**  
**By**  
**_Caroline Priestly_**  
  
_You've stolen my heart  
  
I was doomed from the start  
  
With no strings attached  
  
This love can never be latched  
  
Nothing is the same within me  
  
These racing thoughts won't let me be  
  
My mind constantly ponders on you  
  
One day I hope this love will show true  
  
Troubles loom and worry invades  
  
But my trust in you, it never fades  
  
My Scarlet temptress  
  
That is who you are  
  
You've stolen my heart  
  
And I was doomed from the start._  
  
Miranda sighed as she looked over at her daughter placing Caroline's journal back where it had been. Come tomorrow Miranda knew she needed to talk to Caroline about this because she didn't want her daughter to continue on with this hope when it probably would never happen.  
  
Miranda hated the idea of her daughters getting older and experiencing their first heartache, but alas it was inevitable and Miranda would be there when they came to her with tears in their eyes.  
  
With slight guilt of reading her daughters journal Miranda stood up and crossed the room. She watched as Cassidy rolled over and took out her ear buds.  
  
"Hey bobbsey." Miranda softly said, sitting on the edge of Cassidy's bed. "What are you reading?"  
  
Cassidy held up her book. "Dead in the Family. The 10th in the Southern Vampire Mysteries."  
  
Miranda nodded. She knew what her daughter was speaking about. Cassidy loved her sci-fi, supernatural, otherworldly shows and novels. "Are you enjoying it?"  
  
"It's really good. Sookie is finally with Viking vampire Eric. They have been pining after each other for ages now." Cassidy responded. "And Jason has a new girlfriend. It will be interesting to see how long that lasts."  
  
Miranda chuckled. "I'm glad you're enjoying it, sweetheart." she said.  
  
"Yeah, but I can't wait to watch the T.V. series. I've heard it's really good." Cassidy said. However she knew it would be a while yet until her mom would allow her to watch it because she knew there was a lot of sexual scenes, and she was only fourteen.  
  
"Just think that you'll have heaps of episodes to watch when you turn sixteen." Miranda said. She knew her daughters could handle the sexual scenes and understand it, but Miranda was still wanting her daughters to remain with their innocents for a little while longer.  
  
"There'll hopefully be like four seasons by then!" Cassidy said. "I wonder if Andy watches it."  
  
"She might." Miranda said, and straightened out Cassidy's duvet, trying her best to push thoughts of Andrea out of her mind. She had already made her decision and she had to stick with it. She was far too old to be in a relationship with Andrea. It was that simple. It couldn't work.  
  
"I think Andy's pretty, do you?" Cassidy asked, breaking the silence.  
  
Miranda raised an eyebrow, sighed, and nodded. "I do." she responded. "My god, do I ever." she thought and wondered maybe if she was being ridiculous at throwing away a potential relationship with Andrea?   
  
But how on earth could it last in the long run?! Miranda thought. She was far too old for Andrea! She would ultimately end up holding Andrea back from her young and thriving future.  
  
Not to mention Miranda had no idea how her girls would react to the news of Andrea becoming a permanent fixture in their lives as what, a step-mother? A close friend? How was she to know they would be okay with this new relationship? What if Andrea wasn't ready to face the realities of being a step-mother? It was one thing for Caroline and Cassidy to enjoy Andrea's company and vice versa, but it would be a whole other thing when they hear Miranda is romantic with Andrea.   
  
If she and Andrea were to do this she would at least need to know her daughters would be okay with it as Miranda had already caused too much disruptive mess in Caroline and Cassidy's lives with the all that Stephen had turned out to be, and still to this day he kept pestering them.   
  
"I was watching Andy tonight. She couldn't keep her eyes off you." Cassidy said. "You were doing the same thing." she admitted softly, not sure how her mom would react to that.  
  
"God, was I that obvious?" Miranda thought, placing her hands over her face and rubbing her tired eyes. "Oh." was all she could say. What else could she say or do?! Her daughter wouldn't understand.  
  
"I'm not sure how much Andy noticed, but you know how much I love to observe people." Cassidy replied.  
  
"Oh, you certainly do." Miranda said as she opened her eyes, and looked over at Cassidy's binoculars that her daughter took everywhere with her.  
  
Cassidy laughed softly. "I'm just curious of life and people." she said before continuing. "Dad says it's a good way to be like that, how I'm more aware of what and who is around me."  
  
Miranda nodded. "I suppose he is correct on that." she replied as she picked at invisible flint on Cassidy's duvet.  
  
Cassidy looked seriously at her mother. "I think Andy would be a good fit for you, romantically." she said and as expected her mom whipped her head up and looked at her with raised eyebrows, and a shocked look in her eyes. "If you like her then I think you should tell her."  
  
"Oh, I'm not sure if I should do that." Miranda replied.  
  
"Why not?" Cassidy asked, frowning.  
  
"Sweetheart, Andrea is a lot younger than me. It wouldn't be able to work in the long run." Miranda explained, but deep down she wasn't even able to convince herself of this fact.  
  
The older woman knew that deep down she was simply afraid of getting her heart broken once again.  
  
"How would you know if you don't try?" Cassidy questioned, and when her mom remained quiet she continued. "What's the worst that could happen?" she asked softly.  
  
"There are lots of things that could go wrong." Miranda responded.  
  
"I didn't think you'd be the type to hold yourself back from a potentially amazing opportunity that could change your life over a few silly insecurities." Cassidy said.  
  
"Oh my, you're definitely wiser beyond your years, bobbsey." Miranda replied. She still couldn't believe that her daughters were so extremely sophisticated and wise at such a young age of fourteen, and how they've known what they have wanted to do with their futures since they were five. Miranda hadn't known what she wanted to do until she was in her early twenties and had landed the job at Runway Magazine. "You know what?"  
  
"What's that?" Cassidy asked, looking at her mother.  
  
"I'm thinking that I should maybe listen to you on this one." Miranda said. Why should she allow her fear to hold her back? That would be utterly ridiculous and she would definitely wake up when she was old and lonely and would look back with disappointment and regret that she never gave Andrea a chance.  
  
Cassidy smiled and nodded. "I think you should because if you don't you'll definitely regret it."  
  
"Alright, time to get some sleep now." Miranda said as she tucked Cassidy in as her daughter happily laid down.  
  
Cassidy chuckled as her mom tucked her blankets in much more tightly than they needed to be, as she always did, but never once complained.  
  
Miranda leaned down and kissed her daughter on the forehead. She frowned as she did so. "You're a little warm, are you feeling okay?" she asked in a concerning motherly way.  
  
Cassidy nodded, and tried to shoo her mom out of her room. "I feel perfectly fine. You know I'll let you know if I don't." she responded. It was true. She hated being sick and was quite emotional whenever she was.  
  
Miranda nodded. "Of course, you're right."  
  
"Now go!" Cassidy said, pushing her mom away. "Tell Andy that she's pretty!"  
  
Miranda chuckled and shook her head. She couldn't believe she was actually going to go for it, but her daughter was correct. Really, what did she have to lose... she's taken large leaps of faith in her personal life with relationships before so why shouldn't she not do that again?! This could finally be the relationship for her. Her one and only. The person she'll spend her life with until her dying day.  
  
"Yes." Miranda said, nodding to herself. "Yes. I want that with Andrea."  
  
The older woman crossed the room and came to a stop in front of the bathroom that was adjoined to her bedroom. She raised her hand and knocked on the door. "Andrea, it's me."  
  
~*~


	6. Chapter 6

~*~  
  
"Come in." Andrea replied.  
  
Miranda took a deep breath before grabbing the door handle and exhaling whilst she pushed said door open. She stepped inside the room. It was incredibly steamed, but it was nice. She loved the bathroom like this. "Another thing in common." she thought as she leaned on the closed door behind her. She stared at the tiles before slowly raising her head and looked at the shower. Through the glass she could make out Andrea's back.  
  
"I had hoped you'd follow me in." Andy said as she turned around and saw Miranda staring back at her.  
  
Miranda breathed in deeply again. "I wasn't sure if I should."  
  
"I'm glad you ignored your brain and went with your gut instinct." Andy responded as she ran her hands through her hair.  
  
Miranda gasped at the sight of Andrea's glorious full breasts. They were just as she had pictured them being.  
  
"Why are you so nervous?" Andy asked. "I don't bite unless you would like that."  
  
The older woman had a feeling she would like that very much, but did not say so aloud. Her nerves were still getting the better of her, unsure if this is the right thing for her to be doing. "There is a very large age gap between us, Andrea, and I gave birth to two children and my body shows it. My breasts aren't perfect, I still have visible stretch marks, and scars from having a hysterectomy." Miranda said, knowing Andrea needed to know most of this before they took this huge step together.  
  
"Miranda, you don't need to worry about any of that. I'm not going to judge you. But honestly? In my eyes you're flawless, and I will think the exact same thing when you take off your clothes." Andy responded. "Please trust me."  
  
"I do." Miranda swallowed hard. "I'm going to undress now and join you, so, please turn around."  
  
"Okay." Andy replied and Miranda watched as the other woman did as she said and faced the back of the shower again.  
  
The Runway Editor took the hem of her soft brown cashmere sweater and pulled it up over her head along with the white thin tee shirt she wore underneath it. She then took the waist of her black slacks and pushed them down, letting them fall around her pale legs, and she kicked them aside next to where Andrea's clothes were.  
  
Miranda reached up behind her back and un-clipped her green La Perla bra and tossed it aside. Biting her lip she bent down and pushed her panties down. She was now totally nude and revealing everything to the other woman who could easily have a change of heart, turn around, and laugh in her face at the foolish old woman who actually thought she had a chance with the twenty five year old. She really didn't know what she was doing, and why she wasn't listening to her head, but she stepped forward just as the shower door opened, but Andrea was still facing away from her which Miranda greatly appreciated, inviting her in to the shower.  
  
"Can I turn around now?" Andy asked impatiently.  
  
Miranda cleared her throat, and nodded even though Andrea couldn't see the movement of her head. "Yes."  
  
Andy turned around and what she saw made her jaw drop. "Oh god."  
  
Miranda's heart pounded. "Oh god good or oh god bad?" she asked nervously.  
  
A hand come up to cover her mouth and Andy simply stared at the older woman. She could see Miranda squirm and knew she was uncomfortable with not knowing what she was thinking, but Andy couldn't help her silent contemplation.  
  
"Please say or do something. You're killing me here." Miranda said in annoyance.  
  
Andy pulled her hand away from her mouth and held said hand out. "Get over here, Priestly."  
  
Miranda swallowed hard before nodding, and stepping forward, crossing the distance between them and entering the shower. She was instantly embraced by Andrea, and the young brunette pulled her firmly into her, their bodies flushed together delightfully.  
  
The older woman moaned at the sensations Andrea’s body was giving her. A shot of arousal coursed through her when she felt Andrea’s hands move slowly down her body before stopping on her arse, cupping her cheeks, and squeezing whilst kissing and nipping her neck. She moaned again the sensation causing a flood of wetness to settle between her legs. “Good lord.” She whispered. She had never been turned on so quickly from the first arousing touch. “I love how you feel touching me.” She admitted softly, cheeks flushed.  
  
Andy smiled as she ran her hands back up Miranda’s now wet body and they began to kiss. It was hot, fast, and with lots of tongue.  
  
For such a young age Andrea definitely knew what she was doing. Miranda had never been this confident at twenty five. She was in complete awe of her new lover. Not to mention it was the biggest turn on.  
  
Miranda’s own hands were now slowly, and daringly, moving about Andrea’s body. She didn’t know where to touch first. She pulled back, only slightly, so she could cup Andrea’s glorious breasts. “So beautiful.” She whispered. Miranda Priestly felt like the luckiest woman alive to be allowed the pleasure of being with someone as beautiful as Andrea Sachs. She continued massaging Andrea’s left breast with her left hand whilst her right hand trailed teasingly down Andrea’s stomach.  
  
The brunette looked down and saw Miranda's hands between their bodies before she brought her gaze back up to Miranda's. She watched as the Runway Editor bit her lip before she felt her lover slipping her fingers into Andy's pussy. The brunette also bit her lip, moaned, and fought to keep her eyes open.  
  
Miranda began pumping her fingers hard and fast causing Andrea to moan deliciously, the sound like music to the Runway Editors ears.  
  
"How's that?" Miranda questioned softly just as her lovers eyes rolled back. She chuckled. "That good then." she murmured, before leaning in and kissing Andrea's neck, tasting salt and something that was uniquely Andrea. “I love how tight you feel around my fingers.” She confessed.  
  
Andy moaned, and bit her lip. "Ohhhh god!" She managed to say before she moaned when Miranda began teasing her clit with her thumb while pumping inside her. "Sooooo fucking good!" she exclaimed, left hand pressed against the tiled wall behind her, and her right hand threading into the Runway Editors unique hair. "Fuck! You’re so good with those fingers." She said as she felt Miranda entering her with three fingers. Andy wanted her whole fucking hand in there.  
  
Miranda smirked. She absolutely loved the feeling of being inside Andrea's hot wet core. Her lover began rocking her hips in time with Miranda's thrusts. She moaned as Andrea's fingers began to softly move around in her hair massaging her scalp.  
  
"I want to feel your tongue again." Andy whispered.  
  
Miranda looked at Andrea's face and smirked as she took in her lovers flushed face breathlessness. "So gorgeous." she murmured before slipping her digits out of Andrea's gloriously wet vagina and replaced said fingers when her tongue as soon as she knelt down.  
  
Andrea's body jumped at the first touch. She chuckled and moaned. "Mmm, you like that, don't you?"  
  
Andy bit her lip, and nodded her head, looking down and forced her eyes open so she could stare into Miranda's. She couldn't speak. Miranda was making her feel a way she hadn't felt in a very long time, if ever. She swallowed around her incredibly dry throat as she tried to control her breathing and tried to slow her incoming climax. She didn't want this to be over as embarrassingly quickly as her first climax. This time wanting to enjoy the moment for longer.  
  
However her oncoming climax didn't seem to want to listen to her and she moaned as she rocked and pushed her sex into Miranda's face.  
  
Miranda plunged her tongue as fast and as deep as she could as she sensed Andrea's urgency. "Mmm, that's it my darling." she murmured, coaxing her lover closer to her delicious climax.  
  
"I can't hold it off any longer." Andy cried, her hand slipped from where it held her up from behind causing her to nearly lost her balance, but it didn't at all break Miranda's concentration as the older woman moved her hands upwards and steadied Andrea's body with a surprising amount of secret strength the Runway Editor had.  
  
"Good. I want you to come for me." Miranda said, tongue flicking Andrea's clit before re-entering her entrance to continuing to bring her lover closer to her climax. She could taste a new flow of wetness. "Oh, yes." Miranda said, moaning, the young woman tasted exquisite. "That's it, darling." she continued just as she felt Andrea clenching around her tongue, but her tongue was strong, and she kept at it inside of her lover. "Come for me." she ordered.  
  
Andy's hands had returned to Miranda's head, her lower body holding her up just fine against the wall, and kept the Runway Editors head firmly in place as she rocked in time with Miranda's tongue thrusts.  
  
There were suddenly fireworks behind her closed eye lids as her head fell back against the tiles. Through the buzzing of her ears and the pounding of her heart she heard herself moaning as Miranda moaned also. She could hear how wet she was as Miranda's tongue plunged inside her as the Runway Editor lapped up her juices as she came.  
  
The older woman continued to lap up Andrea's juices before giving a final flick of that magnificent tongue before placing a sloppy kiss on her thigh. She watched through dazed eyes as Miranda stood up from the tiles. Surely her knees must be killing her from being down there for so long, but the Runway Editor didn't cringe once.  
  
Well, if Miranda did have any discomfort in her knees Andy knew she would make Miranda forget about any pain and blow her brains out with the best orgasm she's ever experienced.  
  
They began kissing, soft, and passionately. Their tongues exploring each other’s.  
  
Andy moaned when she tasted herself.  
  
"You make me feel so amazing." Miranda whispered.  
  
"It's only going to get better, gorgeous." Andy replied, winking at Miranda. "I can't wait to taste you any longer. I have to taste you now."  
  
Miranda moaned. She was still so nervous to allow the young woman to do this. She nodded, swallowing hard. "Go slow, please." she whispered, slightly blushing at how tiny her voice sounded. It had been so long since someone had gone down on her. Andrea kissed her again.  
  
"I will, of course." Andy whispered. "Don't worry. Just relax."  
  
Miranda nodded. "Thank you." she whispered as she watched as Andrea lean into begin kissing her again before she felt Andrea's hand cup her sex. She moaned into Andrea's mouth.  
  
"Over to the bench."  
  
Andrea ordered her, and felt herself moving as Andrea practically picked her up, and lowered her down onto the bench on the other end of the large shower as Andrea got down onto her knee's and began kissing Miranda's knees that were sore from those same tiles then began to make her way lower down her body, she was incredibly grateful that the other woman was understanding of her need for it to be slow and gentle, but that’s where it was a plus to be intimate with a woman. Miranda supposed she was quite vanilla in that way even though she hated the term. Andrea knew and understood how she felt with her nerves having felt them at one stage of her life, and knew how to fuck her in all the right places. At that thought Miranda swallowed hard again. "Oh god." she moaned as Andy flicked her nipple before moving down her stomach, twirling her tongue around and in her belly button, before continuing lower.  
  
Andy took in Miranda's pussy. It was just as she had expected it. Utterly perfect. She couldn't even tell that Miranda had given birth to two daughters.  
  
Even though Andy had a sexually violent ex-boyfriend with separation issues she still had managed to put herself out there and find people to spend lonely nights with. There was a guy from Trader Joes who she had a brief thing with, and the woman from Radio City whom she explored so many different sexual things with. Sex toys were what they had used often in the bedroom until the woman got bored of Andy and moved on to be with some blonde hot shot from a Broadway play. They'd had fun whilst it lasted, and that’s all that mattered, and that's all Andy needed and wanted. Her true desire and love was right here with her, and she wasn't going to walk away from Miranda ever again.  
  
Whether Miranda woke in the morning and decided this should be a onetime thing Andy would still fight to keep Miranda and the girls in her life some way or another.  
  
Whatever the outcome Andy wanted to blow Miranda's mind in this moment. "You smell beautiful, Miranda." she said and saw Miranda bite the inside of her lip. The older woman was still so nervous, and Andy had no idea why. She started soft, barely there kisses on Miranda's thighs whilst her fingers moved up and down the Runway Editors gorgeous slim and incredibly toned legs.  
  
"Ooooh." Miranda said, the softest of touches from Andrea were driving her crazy, but she didn't want it to last. She loved being teased, but her ex-husbands and very rarely teased her, it was always about their needs not hers. "You're being quite the tease, and enjoying it, aren't you?"  
  
Andy chuckled softly. "Sorry."  
  
Miranda shook her head. "Don't be. I love it."  
  
"Mmmm." Andy hummed, and it was like by that sound alone Miranda grew wetter. "You're glistening sweetly. I need you now."  
  
Miranda was taken off guard when Andrea dived right in. She yelped and jumped, a shiver running through her body. She covered her mouth and tried to not moan too loudly, last thing they needed was Caroline and Cassidy asking questions the next morning.  
  
The feeling of Andrea's mouth on her vagina sent desire rushing through her body and she could feel herself getting more wet by the second.  
  
"Glorious." Andy said, eyes looking up and locking with Miranda's.  
  
Miranda studied those eyes and all she saw was warmth, hunger, excitement, and the honest truth. She smiled, and then allowed her eyes to flutter closed, and enjoyed the feeling of Andrea's mouth on her, and began to feel her body relaxing. She sighed with pleasure. "Hunger for me!" she thought and swallowed hard. "Oh my god." she moaned wondering how she had gotten so lucky.  
  
Andrea's tongue was strong and was now sliding inside of her and it found absolutely incredible. As she thought about it she was one hundred percent sure she has never felt this amount of intense pleasure before. She had high hopes about this extraordinary woman that they could make a relationship work after tonight.  
  
"My ex-husbands never made the effort to make me feel like this." Miranda murmured.  
  
Andy smiled against Miranda's pussy as she plunged her tongue inside Miranda as deeply as possible. "I'm glad. Now I get the chance to blow Miranda Priestly away like none other has before." she said, her mouth barely leaving Miranda's pussy as she spoke.  
  
Miranda moaned when Andrea swapped her tongue with two long slender fingers and began to pump in and out of her vagina. After a few deep thrusts she gasped when Andrea stopped, and had been about to complain, but Andrea returned her mouth and began exploring deep inside her sex again. She moaned at all these new mind blowing feelings.  
  
"What on earth are you doing to me?" Miranda asked breathlessly.  
  
Andy just chuckled and used her left hand to press down on the Runway Editors lower stomach. She had done this to her previous female bed partner and it had worked like a charm.  
  
"Ohhh, Andrea. You don't know how good you feel." Miranda said, as she felt around, desperately trying to find something to hold onto, but there was nothing except for Andrea's shoulders. She decided they would do, and gripped onto Andrea tightly. It was then that Miranda felt the pressure on her lower abdomen and her eyes popped open and went wide. "Oh. My. God." she gasped. "You're going to...." she trailed off, becoming speechless at the thought.  
  
"Just relax." Andy murmured, working her fingers hard and fast inside Miranda before leaning down to capture Miranda's clit with her mouth and sucked ever so gently.  
  
"Oh god, I don't know how much more of this I can take!" Miranda said, gasping for breath, as she felt like she was going to explode, as Andrea's thrusts turned much faster and desperate.  
  
Miranda was never vocal during sex, and it shocked herself to hear how she reacted to every stroke of Andrea's tongue and fingers, each deeper thrust inside her, it was insane and intense and she saw nothing but pure ecstasy in Andrea's eyes.  
  
Andy hummed as she tasted a new round of Miranda's desire. Oh, she could not wait to see if Miranda was a squirter. That would be totally sexy if she could, and if she couldn't, well that would be something they'd work on together as it was a feeling every woman had to feel at least once in their lifetime. She knew Miranda would be up for the challenge.  
  
Miranda's legs began trembling crazily in a way they'd never had before. Her heart was racing, and her mouth was dry. She didn't know how to explain the way she currently felt, but it was wonderful, and insane. She couldn't believe that Andrea had the gall to do such a thing to her. It was extremely brave of her because Miranda could have reacted in a much more different way, and honestly she probably would have it if was anyone than Andrea.  
  
This was one of the reasons why Miranda was so damn attracted to Andrea Sachs. From that first day even with those god awful clothes she knew that there was something special about Andrea, and she had the most beautiful face and personality, how she stood her ground and fought for Miranda to hear her out. This had been a breath of fresh air for Miranda as all of the other girls would have withered and ran away with their tail between their legs. So, it was only natural for Miranda to want to keep the brunette around.  
  
And tonight had been the exact same thing. Andrea had made that first brave move and kissed her even knowing that Miranda could have been disgusted, pushed her away and laughed in her face, before throwing her out.  
  
"I am in awe of you." Miranda managed to gasp.  
  
Andy hummed. "I don't know why." she said, as she began playing with the rough patch deep inside Miranda, rubbing in circles. "Does that feel alright?"  
  
Miranda moaned. "Better than alright, darling. But, I've never... done this."  
  
Andy smiled as she leaned down and pressed a kiss to Miranda's lower stomach just near her hand. "Don't stress about it. If you want me to stop I will."  
  
"No!" Miranda announced quickly. She cleared her throat, and spoke again, much softer this time. "No, don't be ridiculous. Keep going."  
  
Andy chuckled. "Good because I really don't want to stop."  
  
Miranda blushed at that as her legs continued to shake uncontrollably. It wouldn't be long now. "Oh god." she spoke, unable to believe this was happening. It was all so surreal.  
  
A couple minutes later, and Miranda felt like she was going to explode with her desire and she wondered how on earth Andrea was able to do this for so longer. Surely her hand and wrist was killing her. Again, she was in awe of Andrea whom didn't even care how long it took Miranda to get off.  
  
"God, you're so sexy." Andy said.  
  
Miranda simply moaned.  
  
"You can let go whenever you feel ready." Andy added. "We can stay here until the sun comes up if we have to."  
  
A shiver of desire ran through Miranda's body at the thought of making love to Andrea until the sun came up, not that they could see the sun rise from the bunker, she thought.  
  
A second later Miranda felt her body freeze, and her breath caught in her throat, she wailed out as an intense feeling come over her, inside and out, as she felt herself let go, trusting Andrea completely that she wouldn't be disgusted by this. She climaxed and felt the most deliciously heavy gush release out of her. She continued to cry out, and her legs were flying around, as her body shook.  
  
It felt absolutely amazing and extremely powerful. She hadn't registered that Andrea had replaced her fingers with her mouth, lapping up her juices, until Miranda came to her senses again. She moaned, and when it all became too much, she pushed Andrea's head away with her hands. "Too much." she murmured in explanation.  
  
Andy nodded her understanding, placed a kiss atop Miranda's clit, before leaning up and began softly kissing Miranda who in turn held onto her tightly and lazily kissed her. It took some time for Miranda to come down from her incredible explosion of desire, but that was alright, it didn't bother Andy one bit, she simply continued to kiss and embrace Miranda.  
  
When they rested their heads on each other’s shoulders the room fell silent except for the running over the water above them, and the loud thuds of both of their hearts pounding from excitement and joy, their loud breathing.  
  
"Good thing Miranda can afford the water bill." Andy mused as it has been running for over forty minutes now. If that happened in her apartment, good god, she'd be having to pull money outta her arse.  
  
"Are you okay?" Andy asked a couple seconds later once she felt Miranda's breathing and heart rate returning back to normal. Her lover was still holding onto her tightly, but her legs had pretty much stopped shaking now.  
  
Miranda breathed in deeply, and released it slowly. She opened her eyes and found Andrea staring back at her. She smiled a lazy smile. "Mmmm." she hummed, running her hands slowly up and down Andrea's back. "I'm more than okay thanks to you." she whispered. "That was... you're... oh my god...” she sighed at her speechlessness. “You’re utterly amazing and surprising, Andrea. You're the first person to have ever do that to me. I never thought I was capable of doing such a thing."  
  
Andy saw Miranda blush as the older woman covered her face from embarrassment. "Don't do that." she whispered, wrapping her hand around Miranda's wrist, and began to softly pull Miranda's hand away. "I want to see you." and so her lover dropped her hand and they stared at each other, putting all of their emotions on full display. "So beautiful. You tasted so deliciously sweet."  
  
Miranda shook her head thinking again how lucky she has gotten. She was blown away by how much Andrea seemed to be interested in her. "No man would have been that ballsy to do what you just did to me."  
  
"They're absolutely crazy for not seeing how special you are." Andy responded. "But, I'm glad they were idiots and left you or else I wouldn't be here with you, like this, right now."  
  
Miranda smiled, her heart fluttering, and butterflies formed in her stomach. "Come to dinner with me this week." she blurted, then bit her lip, nervously awaiting Andrea's reply.  
  
"As in like a date?" Andy whispered.  
  
Miranda saw the hopeful and excited look in Andrea's gorgeous brown eyes. She nodded and that caused that gorgeous million dollar smile to spread across her lovers face.  
  
"I'd love to!" Andy exclaimed.  
  
"Wonderful. I should be able to do Thursday. The girls are having a slumber party at a mutual friends place so I was thinking dinner at the townhouse, say around 8:30... Maybe we could cook something together?" Miranda suggested. "I can tell you're quite the foodie."  
  
Andy laughed and nodded. "I am, for sure. I follow quite a lot of food blogs on the internet so much so that I've been thinking of starting my own."  
  
"You should do it." Miranda replied, running her hands through Andrea's hair, encouraging her lover.  
  
"I totally would, but with how things have been these last few years and the fact that my job only pays enough for me to able to pay the rent and bills and enough food for a fortnight I can't exactly afford to dine out and try new foods or buy expensive groceries to create my own recipes." Andy said.  
  
"Well, that's something I could fix." Miranda thought, but did not say. She knew Andrea wasn't with her for her money, and she didn't want to start a conversation like that just yet. "There are so many restaurants I could take you to."  
  
Andy smiled. "That would be lovely."  
  
Miranda burst into laughter then.  
  
Andy looked up into Miranda's sparkling eyes. "What is so funny?"  
  
"I'm just so glad you threatened me with a gun yesterday afternoon." Miranda said through her laughter. "A sentence I never thought I'd hear myself saying."  
  
Andy began laughing also. Once they calmed down she cupped the Runway Editors cheek. "I'm glad I did too." she whispered before leaning forward and kissing her new found lover. To be able to call The Miranda Priestly her lover was a dream come true.  
  
When they pulled back from their kiss Andy couldn't help the yawn that escaped her mouth. Lately she was a night owl, and would on any other night, still be up at this time of morning tossing and turning until the sun came up worrying about when Nate would show up again and what he was going to do next. She had been such a coward for not doing anything about the situation. She cleared her throat and ignored her thoughts. "I'm sorry, but that champagne must be putting me to sleep all of a sudden."  
  
"Come to bed with me. I don't want to stop holding you." Miranda murmured, nuzzling Andrea's neck. She felt one hundred percent safe with Andrea and she had never felt like this with any of her ex-husbands. This thought warmed her heart. There really was a special connection she and Andrea shared and it gave her hope for the future.  
  
"Sounds perfect." Andy replied, and she stood up, and held out a hand for Miranda to help the older woman up off the bench before they turned the running water off, dried themselves, and headed back out into the bedroom adjoined to said bathroom.  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
**4:35AM.  
**  
"Caroline! Caroline, wake up!" Cassidy said hysterically, shaking her sister’s body. "There's people in the house!!!"  
  
Caroline woke with a jolt, and sat up right, staring at her sister who looked like she'd seen a ghost. "What?! Does Mom and Andy know?!"  
  
Cassidy shook her head and showed her the iPad security system video feeds of the perimeter of the shack inside and outside above them. "Moms still in bed. Her phone should have alerted her by now that someone’s upstairs, but Moms phone must have gone dead."  
  
"Where's Andy?" Caroline asked.  
  
"I think she's sharing Moms bed." Cassidy answered.  
  
"I told you they'd get together." Caroline said. She had seen the signals straight away. "You owe me your stash of Christmas chocolate you still have!" she said, fist pumping the air.  
  
Cassidy rolled her eyes. "You're terrible. We're in a dire situation here. What if they want to hurt Mom! We need to warn her and Andy!"  
  
Caroline nodded, and got out of bed. She took her sisters hand, secretly just as scared as her twin but would never admit that out loud. She was more like her mother in many ways. They tip-toed over to the door and quietly opened it, and took a couple steps out into the main area before they froze upon hearing the heavy door at the top of the staircase opening.  
  
"Oh my god, they're inside!" Cassidy whispered, trembling now. "We need to move back into our room."  
  
Caroline nodded. "Good idea!" she said, and they hurriedly re-entered their shared bedroom.  
  
"What are we supposed to do now?" Cassidy asked. "Hide and wait for them to leave?"  
  
Caroline shrugged. "I don't know. I've never been in a situation like this before."  
  
"Every horror movie always ends with the people hiding being found and then they get killed or taken!" Cassidy said.  
  
"Oh, you've watched too many stupid movies." Caroline said.  
  
"Only because you want to watch them, and you make me watch them with you because you're too scared to watch them yourself!" Cassidy hissed.  
  
Caroline rolled her eyes. It was the truth, and she bit her lip. "The closet. Let's get in there, and if we make no sounds, then the intruders don't need to know we are in here because Mom won't let on that we are."  
  
Cassidy nodded. "Okay." she said, and with that they shut themselves in the incredibly tiny closet. Both twins in that moment glad they weren't claustrophobic.  
  
"And let’s face it, you enjoyed Taken because of Maggie Grace." Caroline whispered.  
  
"She was really good. I can't wait for new episodes of LOST." Cassidy whispered back.  
  
And just like that they continued talking quietly with each other both trying to forget that they were hiding in a closet from intruders.  
  
~*~


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has violence, nothing too major, and also depictions of sexual encounters of abuse. NO sexual abuse actually happens, I don't write that sort of stuff, most I ever do is just touch on such a subject.

~*~  
  
Miranda jumped awake. She wasn't sure what it was, but something made her wake up. She looked around the dim lighting of the room, the purple glow from the lava lamp in the corner illuminating it beautifully. She didn't usually wake from her slumber unless something had happened. If one of her girls was sick or Patricia had knocked something over in the darkened house. She turned her head down to where Andrea was sleeping peacefully beside her, snoring softly. She craned her head to the left listening out with her better ear for any sounds to signal her daughters or Patricia were up and walking about. Had it been anything else her phone would have let her know. She looked at her bedside table to grab said phone, but paused upon not seeing it where it normally was when she was in bed. She must have left it in the kitchen.  
  
"Shit!" she said, and reached a hand out to shake Andrea awake. "Wake up, wake up!" she said urgently. The young woman stirred awake.  
  
"What's wrong?" Andy asked groggily, her head pounding, and she groaned. "God, how much did I drink...” she trailed off. Surely it couldn't be time to get up already. "God, I need an Advil or five!"  
  
"I think there’s someone here." Miranda said ignoring Andrea's words.  
  
At that Andy jumped out of bed. She was light headed, but pushed through it. "Are you sure?"  
  
"Something woke me, and I don't have my phone to alert me of an intruder, so I don't know, but what if there is. Oh god, the girls...” Miranda trailed off. At that thought she walked over to the door.  
  
"Wait, Miranda, what if..."  
  
Miranda was already out the door and Andy cursed and punched the air. "Ugh!" she groaned. Her lover was one stubborn woman, and went on instinct without always thinking through on said action. Swallowing her fear Andy rushed to catch up with Miranda who stood near the staircase. She noticed that the girls' bedroom door was shut, and the light was turned off, so hopefully that meant they were peacefully sleeping and whatever happened next could be resolved without them even knowing.  
  
"The doors open upstairs." Miranda whispered.  
  
Andy looked up, but couldn't see because it was too dark. "How can you tell?"  
  
"I just can...” Miranda trailed off. "Who's there?!" she demanded harshly.  
  
There was silence before someone spoke.  
  
"Miranda, its Emily."  
  
"What? Emily? Why are you here? I thought you were supposed to be at that party with Serena that I dropped you at." Miranda responded, and flicked the lights on with a sigh of relief, but that relief was only short lived when she heard a sob like noise coming from upstairs. "Is everything okay?"  
  
"No! They have guns!!!" Emily announced hysterically.  
  
"You stupid ugly mole!" A male’s voice yelled, and what happened next was all so fast as Miranda heard the god awful sound of a body being pushed down the stairs, and with that Miranda rushed forward without thinking just as Emily came into view landing on the floor.  
  
"Oh my god." Andy said. She knew that voice. "Nate?!"  
  
Miranda's eyes widened and she looked from an unconscious Emily Charlton to her lover. She then turned her eyes upwards to the middle of the staircase where there stood three men wearing all black and had "SCREAM" movie masks covering their faces. "How unoriginal." she thought before stepping forward. "Show yourselves." she demanded. "I don't fear you."  
  
The man at the front started laughing then. "We have another feisty one on our hands, boys. This ought to be enjoyable!" he said, and with that took off his mask.  
  
Miranda was now face to face with Nathan Cooper.  
  
"There's no need to fear me. I'm only here to pick up my girlfriend and then we'll be out of your hair as I'm sure Andy has annoyed you enough for one night." Nate responded before looking around. "Andy, I know you’re in here. I saw you leave the Gas Station."  
  
Andy walked into view from where she had been rooted to the spot. "You're a coward." she said to herself. "Miranda deserves better."  
  
"From what Andrea has told me she isn't your girlfriend anymore, and hasn't been for over three years now, but you can't seem to move on, and have been stalking her and more ever since." Miranda said, trying her best to stand her ground. "So much so that you've been abusing her in every way possible ever going as far as tormenting her work friends."  
  
Nate laughed at that. "Is that what she's been telling you?" he asked with a shake of his head. "They're nothing but sob stories. Andy is full of them."  
  
"I don't think so especially with the bruise on her rib." Miranda said.  
  
"Andy, come on, you slipped on the wet bathroom tiles and hit your rib on the sink, remember?" Nate said.  
  
Miranda couldn't believe her ears as she turned to watch her lover open and close her mouth. "Oh, you're a piece of work, aren't you?" she spoke turning back to face Nate, and stepping closer to him. "I can see right through you. You're absolutely full of it." she looked back at Andrea then. "Look at her, she's looking at you like a scared puppy."  
  
"Oh, please. She was asking for it!" Nate replied. "All those times she flaunted her naked body around the apartment. Those men and women she taunted me with coming around every other weekend before she moved out."  
  
"You told me you were okay with that!" Andy yelled. "You said it's what we should both do to try and move on because you wanted us to be friends still! You brought women home too, you know."  
  
"Only because you were." Nate said.  
  
Andy shook her head. "I had thought we were on the same page about it until not even a week later after Crystal broke it off with me you thought it was a brilliant idea to force yourself onto me and rape me!"  
  
"Rape." Nate said shaking his head. "It's such a harsh word."  
  
Miranda raised an eyebrow and scoffed. "I want you out of my house. Now."  
  
"This is hardly a house, lady." Nate replied before stepping down the last of the steps and walked around Miranda ignoring her order. "If Andy won't come with me then I won't be leaving."  
  
"I can handle that, but you won't mind if I ask your 'boys' to leave." Miranda responded. She was at a loss of what do to so try to play along.  
  
"You know, I really don't like it when a woman bosses me around." Nate said, sitting down on one of the stools at the island counter. "Boys, sit yourselves down. Hopefully this place has some decent beer."  
  
"Well," Miranda laughed. "You're dealing with the wrong woman because I love being the Boss. I'd say ask Emily, but you knocked her out. If you've hurt her in any way, I won't be happy. She's like a daughter to me."  
  
"Wow, the Ice Queen has a lovable heart afterwards, and here I've been worrying about your daughters. What are their names, Caroline and Cassidy?" Nate questioned, taking an apple from the fruit bowl and biting into it.  
  
"Don't you dare speak their names again?" Miranda warned.  
  
"You know what, lady, I'm getting real sick and tired of listening to you." Nate said, and waved one of his boys over.  
  
Miranda couldn't hear what was being said, but she wasn't going to be scared by him. Andrea needed her help, and she would get them through this. The young man Nate had been whispering to nodded before staring Miranda down and began advancing in on her. She watched as he pulled rope out of his pocket and took her roughly by the upper arm and pulled her over to the dining table and shoving her down into a chair.  
  
"Why are you doing this to her?" Andy yelled. "Miranda has nothing to do with this!"  
  
"Now she does Andy because you brought her into it." Nate responded before looking over at the young man tying Miranda up. "Make sure you do the rope tight." he commanded.  
  
As the ropes were tied around Miranda's wrists she tried not to cringe at how tight they were. It was extremely uncomfortable and Nate noticed her discomfort. He began laughing at her.  
  
"You won't get away with this!" Miranda said just before black tape was slapped across her mouth and she could no longer speak, but she could still glare at Nate, and so she did.  
  
When Miranda turned to look at her lover she saw Andrea mouth "I'm sorry" to her. The Runway Editor wanted to say that it was okay, that it wasn't her fault, and that they couldn't have known Nate had seen them.  
  
"At least put Emily on the couch." Andy said.  
  
"What. That up tight cow that always gave you a hard time and laughed at you?" Nate asked, looking at Andy.  
  
"She barely laughed at me. It was only the first couple of days until she got bored of me and my appearance and got back to the tasks at hand." Andy explained.  
  
"But I liked how you were back then. I don't like this new Andy." Nate said.  
  
"Yeah, and now I know why you loved the "old Andy" so much." Andy said. "You hated going out with me all dressed up in the latest couture because people would check me out constantly and you have a major jealousy problem, and old Andy didn't even get a first glance. I used to hate it. I never knew how good it actually felt to feel good until Nigel helped me learn about fashion. I loved the way it made me feel watching men and women, but you know what the best moment was?" Andy asked. "When I started to grab Miranda's attention on a regular basis, and now I have the lucky pleasure to have her all to myself." Andy said looking at Miranda both their eyes sparkling. "I actually have you to thank for that." she continued turning back to Nate. "Had it not been for you following me out of the city I never would have come across Miranda. It's just a shame it's had to be ruined by you."  
  
Nate's fists clenched at this new piece of information and he turned a disgusted glare onto the older woman. It was the look that absolutely terrified Andy hence why she could never leave him fully without fear of wondering what he would do to her so that’s why he allowed her to have a key to her new studio apartment. Tonight however she was not going to let that look scare her any longer. Tonight she had to be strong for the Priestly's and for Emily. She would do her best to not anything more happen to them. “I've had it with you, Nate. The abuse whenever you feel like it, the showing up to my apartment late at night drunk, stalking me and insulting my female co-workers and threatening my male co-workers. You're nothing but a low life piece of trash, and I should have listened to my Ma that very first night she met you when she told me she had a bad feeling about you."  
  
"What are you talking about, Ma loves me." Nate said. "Just like I love her, and the rest of your family."  
  
"That's where you're wrong." Andy replied. "My ma simply tolerates you."  
  
Nate shook his head. "You're lying. Stop it!" he yelled.  
  
"Just like when I started working at Runway and my style and personally changed to fit the woman I was growing into that you told me on countless occasions that you didn't like the new me, and I should have listened to my gut instincts and left you all those years ago, and then maybe I wouldn't be stuck in this mess with you because I had friends that would have stuck up for me and supported me through your craziness. Unlike now where I've had to deal with you on my own as best as I could."  
  
Nate ground his teeth. "You're walking on thin ice, Andy." he replied warning her as he began to pace the room.  
  
Andy laughed. "What are you going to do about it?" she questioned. "You don't have it in you to put a bullet in me."  
  
Nate continued his pacing and began muttering to himself.  
  
"So, what are you going to do about this situation you have caused?" Andy asked, and when Nate remained quiet the brunette began laughing. "See, you're at a loss of what to do. You're utterly pathetic."  
  
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Nate roared and charged at Andy, a gun now in his hand that he had pulled out from the back of his black faded jeans. He pushed Andy down into the nearest chair and the gun was japed into Andy's chest and she simply stared at the man she used to love. He was absolutely seething and his breathing was erratic. He had no idea what he was doing. She wasn't scared of him. "Do it. Pull the trigger. I dare you." she whispered.  
  
Nate remained silent.  
  
"Go on!" Andy said more firmly that time. "DO IT!"  
  
"Why are you doing this to me, Andy?!" Nate asked. "Why are you hurting me?!"  
  
Andy laughed and cocked an eyebrow. "Me? I'm the one who's hurting you?" she asked with disbelief. "Last I checked it was you doing all the hurting. Do you remember the first night you forced yourself onto me? Fucking me raw so much so I passed out from the pain?!"  
  
Nate pushed the gun harder into her chest.  
  
Andy laughed sadly, feeling tears well in her eyes, as flashbacks of those nights came to mind. "I don't know what I ever did to you to deserve all that pain."  
  
Nate pulled away from Andy and began pacing again. He then pulled out a roll of black tape and shoved it over Andy's mouth. "Your voice is annoying me. Honestly, how do you put up with her?" he asked turning to look at Miranda.  
  
"Easily." Miranda thought. "She is divine."  
  
"Honestly, I don't understand why you women are always insisting on talking so much, and wanting deep and meaningful and soft sex." Nate continued. "It's insufferable!" he added as he began tying Andy's hands to the back of the chair before he moved away and leaned against the island counter with a sigh and closed his eyes.  
  
"Now, what's all this nonsense about you thinking you're suddenly a lesbian now?" Nate asked looking at Andy. "You're being ridiculous if you think you are and could have a future with that thing behind me."  
  
Andy yelled at Nate, but there was point as it was muffled noise behind the tape. "You bastard!" she said.  
  
Nate turned onto Miranda. "You brainwashed her, didn't you?"  
  
Miranda shook her head.  
  
"You did, didn't you?" Nate said and continued. "Admit it, you old whore!" he said and ripped the tape off of the Runway Editors mouth. "You brainwashed my Andy to make her think that you're in love with her just for a dirty night of sinful passion! CONFESS!"  
  
"That's not what happened at all." Miranda responded, her lips throbbing. "Andrea was the one who made her feelings known, Nathan, not me. However I have been attracted to her from the first day I met her, and in my heart I know she's the one for me."  
  
"What?" Nate asked in shock. "You... you actually love her?"  
  
Andy's eyes widened and Miranda turned to her and looked only a little worried as the Runway Editor nodded. "I do, yes, and I can see myself falling in love with her." she said ever so softly hoping that she wouldn't scare Andrea away for confessing her feelings so soon after only just reuniting. "And I know that she feels the same way." she said, and when she saw Andrea nod in agreement she sighed in relief.  
  
What happened next had both women jumping out of their skin.  
  
The back of Nate's right hand slapped Miranda across the face three times the sound echoing loudly in Miranda's ears.  
  
Well, if she thought her lips were sore she was in even more pain now.  
  
"You'll regret doing that." Miranda said, her warning words from earlier surfacing again.  
  
"No, I won't." Nate said. "You're a dirty bitch whose threats won't work on me. What did you do to her?"  
  
"Treated her like a lady. Made her feel amazing, like she was a Princess." Miranda answered. "Something you never could."  
  
"I can't believe this!" Nate announced and turned to Andy. "How could you do this to me?"  
  
"Easy, Nate, I've moved on. I wish you were able to do the same thing." Andy said having been able to get the tape off of her ask Nate hadn't put it on as tightly as he thought.  
  
"But with her!" Nate yelled his disgust. "She's an old hag who'll be dying of old age in no time, and you want to be with her?!"  
  
"Wow." Miranda said. "I've never met someone so ageist before."  
  
Before Nate could reply there was a groaning sound coming from the staircase. Three eyes whipped over to the sound and saw Emily Charlton steadying herself as she sat on the third step.  
  
"You!" Emily drawled. "You pushed me down the stairs!"  
  
"You deserved it." Nate replied before looking at the man standing nearest to Emily. "Tie her up!"  
  
"What do you plan on getting out of this, Nate?" Andy began again. "That I'll run back into your arms and ask to spend the rest of my life with you?"  
  
Nate remained silent as he watched Emily try to resist getting her hands tied to the staircase. He went over and slapped her across the face. "Stop messing about and let him do his job!" he yelled.  
  
"I've got news for you Nate, you're delusional if you think I'll go back to you after what you've been doing to me, and news flash, I don't enjoy the company of men anymore, and I think deep down you've known this for a long time." Andy said.  
  
Nate put his hands on his head covering his ears. The gun was still in his hand, but Andy wasn't scared of him anymore because he wasn't going to do anything drastic here, that's not who he is and that's what she said.  
  
"This isn't you, Nate, you don't do things like this. You've just made a few mistakes, mistakes that I can easily forgive you for because that's what friends are for, right?" Andy said.  
  
"Friends?!" Nate asked staring at Andy. "We aren't just friends we never have been!"  
  
"Well, I would love to be your friend, Nate, and I can get passed everything else. Please, just untie us and we can work something out." Andy said.  
  
Nate shook his head. "No, no one is getting untied until you leave this place with me."  
  
"That's not going to happen, Nate, please forgive me when I say I can't be with you anymore. I love Miranda now, she's my future." Andy said.  
  
The next sound Andy heard took her by utter shock as the horrifying sound of three bullet rounds rang out around the room, causing ears to ring, as Miranda looked with wide eyes to the now opened bedroom door of Caroline and Cassidy's bedroom. Her stomach dropped. "Oh god, no! Don't come out here!" she wanted to scream, but her vocal cords didn't seem to want to work. She was frozen to the chair with shock from the sound of the bullets.  
  
The room began spinning and she felt like she was going to pass out as Patricia's loud barking continued to fill her ringing ears, and before she could stop it her eyes fluttered shut.  
  
~*~  
  
"My sisters having an asthma attack! She needs her puffer and Mom has it!" Caroline said looking from the strange man to Andy.  
  
"Nate, Caroline's going to go and get Cassidy's asthma puffer and you are going to let her." Andy said.  
  
"Oh, of course. I can't let the poor child suffer." Nate said, and motioned for Caroline to pass him.  
  
Caroline rushed past this Nate person and entered her mom’s bedroom. She looked at the messy bed, and went over to the open overnight bag by the closet. She dug through it but found no puffer. "Shit!" she cursed, and shot up and into the bathroom where she rustled around through her Moms extremely messy toiletries bag. In a small compartment on the side she breathed a sigh of relief when she found two asthma puffers. She forgot that her Mom had changed their location from her overnight or suitcase back to the toiletries bag.  
  
Rushing back out in the main living room Caroline gave the puffer to her sister whose hands were shaking violently and she was wheezing so crazy. She hadn't seen her twin this bad in a long time. "Stress always does this to her! You caused this!" she yelled to this Nate guy.  
  
Nate held up his hands. "Not my fault I wasn't aware your twin had asthma."  
  
Caroline turned back to Cassidy who was finally breathing better and she wasn't shaking as much.  
  
"Now that we have controlled the situation put them on the couch." Nate said, breathing a sigh of relief as Cassidy's breathing returned to normal. "Tie them up, but don't put tape on them just yet." he said and glared at the twins. "Don't say a word, got it?"  
  
The twins nodded. They were so freaked and had no idea what was going on. They looked at Andy with confusion.  
  
"It's going to be alright, girls." Andy said, trying to comfort them, glad that her voice didn't shake before turning back to look at Miranda.  
  
Ten minutes later no one had spoken and Nate walked into the kitchen. "Finally some peace and quiet. Maybe we can eat now, hey boys?" he asked as he pulled open the fridge. "I wonder what we have in here, hmm?" he said and spotted a container. "Oh, what's this here? For Andrea :) How sweet! The Ice Queen saved you a container, more meat to go on those thighs of yours."  
  
Andy stared in shock at Nate, but said nothing and tried to ignore the insult as best she could because in actuality she had lost quite a lot of weight these last couple of years, the stress of everything getting her down and losing her appetite on countless occasions.  
  
"Gather around, boys, let’s see if the infamous Dragon Lady can cook." Nate said as he sat down on one of the stools.  
  
Andy watched as Nate handed forks around to his new found friends and wondered where he found them. She listened to them whilst they ate cold food and talked and laughed quietly amongst themselves without a care in the world, but as she watched Nate closely it was all a facade, she could see his hands shaking. She shook her head and wondered how on earth it had become to this.  
  
A few minutes later Miranda's eyes fluttered open and Andy breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"Hey," the brunette said softly, and Miranda's eyes found hers. "How are you feeling?"  
  
Miranda's ears had finally stopped ringing and she could see clearly again. "Alright, we can get through this together." she replied before remembering what had happened and she whipped her head over to the couch where her daughters were. "Bobbseys!" she said. "Are you alright?" she asked.  
  
They nodded.  
  
Miranda frowned when they remained quiet. "Are you sure? He didn't hurt you, did he?"  
  
They shook their heads.  
  
"I told them to keep their mouths shut." Nate informed her, coming up beside the Runway Editor, placing his hand on her shoulder.  
  
Miranda squirmed and tried to shake him off her, but it was no use, he squeezed harder.  
  
"They're behaving very well so far, but Cassidy gave us quite the scare earlier with an asthma attack." Nate continued.  
  
Miranda's eyes widened and she searched Cassidy's face for any signs that she wasn't alright. All she saw was confusion and a scared look in her eyes. "But her loving and doting sister was at her rescue and found her second asthma pump. You really should be more thoughtful about where you leave that one. Caroline took her time rummaging around in your bag."  
  
"You women always insist on carrying around so much crap in those things." Nate had continued when the Runway Editor remained quiet. "I never understood why."  
  
Miranda had nothing to say to that and she kept her eyes straight ahead.  
  
"Huh, well, I can get the hint when a woman doesn't want to talk to me." Nate said. "How about we all have a drink, huh?" he asked. "Who wants some champagne?!" he asked as he took a bottle of sparkling Moet from the fridge and popped it.  
  
He stopped in front of Miranda again and raised an eyebrow. "Surely you want some champagne, Miranda?"  
  
Miranda nodded, deciding to go along with him.  
  
Nate smiled. "Are you going to be a good old girl and behave for me?"  
  
Miranda nodded, gritting her teeth.  
  
Nate studied her for a couple of seconds before coming to a decision. "Alright, then."  
  
"Open wide!" Nate added, and stepped closer to Miranda.  
  
Miranda hesitated before doing as was asked, and Nate placed the bottle in her mouth. She was able to take a small sip, and just as she thought Nate was going to step away and see who else wanted some, he tipped her head back and the cold liquid ran down the back of her throat.  
  
The older woman’s eyes widened as she began coughing and practically choking on the bubbly liquid.  
  
Just as Miranda thought she was going to pass out, again, Nate thankfully stopped and pulled the bottle back and began laughing delightfully.  
  
Miranda leaned forward coughing violently, and spluttering. She felt like she was going to be sick, but thankfully managed to control herself. She slowly sat back in the chair and swallowed a few times as she tried to get her breathing under control.  
  
"That was fun! Now who wants to go next?" Nate asked looking around at the other occupants. He stopped on the twins and began eyeing them off. "Oh, now this shall be interesting, won't it, Miranda?" he said eyeing Caroline in particular. "Let's see if your girl has been getting up to no good. Her gag reflex will tell us that."  
  
"Don't you dare!" Miranda warned.  
  
"What, don't I dare give your daughter alcohol?" Nate asked turning back to look at Miranda. "I think you're forgetting the little fact that it's the Annual Purge, and this is practically legal tonight." he said before looking at Caroline again. "Oh, don't look like that. You'll love it!"  
  
Caroline swallowed hard. She had sneakily tried some of her mom’s champagne a couple of times, but of course, has never had it forcefully shoved down her throat. She would surely be sick. Her heart pounded as Nate gained in on her. Her head was shoved forcefully back and she closed her eyes shut hard. She felt the bottle touch her mouth and liquid touch her tongue before someone yelled.  
  
"STOP!"  
  
It took Caroline a minute to realise who it had been until Nate pulled back and spun around.  
  
"Don't you touch her!" It was Emily.  
  
"Well, well, it looks like the snooty cow has a soft spot for the Priestly twins." Nate said. "Who'd have thought?!"  
  
"They've done nothing to warrant this behavior from you." Emily said. "Keep them out of it!"  
  
Nate raised an eyebrow.  
  
"I'll have the champagne." Emily said, calmly this time.  
  
Nate shook his head. "No, it'll be no fun with you. You'll still have your gag reflex. You're too uptight to give men head."  
  
Emily scoffed, and turned pale at the thought of Miranda Priestly hearing all of this.  
  
"I'm right, aren't I?!" Nate asked laughingly. "Oh my god, it's written all over your face!"  
  
"The thought of it makes me sick." Emily said before snapping her mouth shut.  
  
"What is it with all you Runway women being lesbians?!" Nate asked, looking from Emily to Miranda and Andy then to the twins. He raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess, you're both lesbians too?" he asked. "Wouldn't be surprised if you're doing each other!" he said and turned to Miranda. "Wouldn't that be a kicker for you, hey Mom?!"  
  
Miranda remained quiet, unblinking.  
  
Nate laughed. "Oh, how would the infamous Miranda Priestly deal with that one?!"  
  
"I can overcome anything that is thrown my way, everyone knows that." Miranda replied, turning her La Priestly face onto Nate. "Now if you would stop talking about my daughters in such a disgusting way that would be brilliant."  
  
"Fine, fine." Nate said, waving around the gun. "But, you surely do know that it's a very common thing for twins. I mean, they shared the womb together. Aren't you at all a bit worried that they could be doing stuff behind closed doors that they shouldn't be?"  
  
Miranda breathed in deeply, and let it out slowly. She was trying to keep calm, but this man was really starting to get to her. "I have nothing to say to you about what you're implying." she said, taking a breath, and was about to speak again when she was stopped.  
  
"You're disgusting!" Caroline said.  
  
"Excuse me?" Nate asked turning around. "Did I just hear you speaking to me?"  
  
"That's right. You did. And what you're insinuating is absolutely disgusting." Caroline continued. "But you're a disgusting man so I wouldn't be surprised if you were fantasising about it right now, me and my sister, doing what we shouldn't be doing."  
  
Nate scoffed. "There's nothing special about you. You're nothing but Priestly trash to me."  
  
Caroline laughed. "Your words aren't insulting me. Seriously, keep them coming. I could see here all morning listening to what you could come up with."  
  
Nate stood there for a moment and shook his head. "You aren't worth wasting my breath over."  
  
Caroline shrugged. "Suit yourself."  
  
A few minutes later Emily noticed Caroline staring at her and trying to get her attention. She raised an eyebrow as Caroline kept looking from her to the guy standing next to her. She didn't get what Caroline was trying to tell her.  
  
"Get. The. Gun."  
  
Caroline mouthed to her.  
  
"What?" Emily mouthed before looking at the guy’s leg and tucked into his boot was a small hand gun. She turned back to Caroline. "Are. You. Insane?"  
  
Caroline nodded at her.  
  
"How?" Emily mouthed looking over at Nate to make sure he wasn't looking in their direction.  
  
"Use. Your. Feminine. Ways."  
  
Emily's eyes widened at what Caroline said. "No. Way!" she mouthed. "I. Can't."  
  
"Why?" Caroline questioned back instantly. She knew Emily could do it as she had seen Emily flirt before.  
  
Truth be told Emily Charlton was totally freaked out by this whole situation. She cleared her throat, and once she got the guys attention she smiled sweetly at him. "If we’re going to be stuck here for god knows how long then don't you think we should pass the time together?" she asked, slowly moving her over her right knee when she knew she had his attention between her thighs.  
  
He smirked and nodded before walking over to Nate and whispered in his ear.  
  
Nate chuckled and patted his back. "Go for it." he encouraged.  
  
Miranda had watched the whole exchange between her daughter and Emily and was wondering what they were up to. Her eyes widened however when she watched the young man untie Emily and he took her hand and they walked into the spare bedroom. Whatever was going on Miranda just hoped it wouldn't back fire.  
  
~*~  
  
  
Emily pushed the young guy down onto the bed, and jumped onto of him, beginning to straddle him and kissing his neck.  
  
"Oh my god." Danny said. "I can't believe you want this with me. I thought you were a lesbian."  
  
"I'm not into labels." Emily responded as the young guys hands began attentively began touching her. She slapped his hands away. "No touching." she firmly said, and then nipped his ear. "You'll get your turn."  
  
Danny swallowed hard. "Okay."  
  
For someone who looked so tough and scary he was just a nervy little boy.  
  
"Take your clothes off." Emily demanded as she stood up and took her own shirt off.  
  
"Oh my god." The young guy said again. "You're so hot!"  
  
Emily smirked. "I like to think so." she replied and watched as Danny hurriedly took his clothes off. He was about to take his jocks off and she could see the boner she had given him just by sitting on him and she tried not to blanch. She hadn't been with a guy since high school and didn't plan on changing that little fact tonight. "Stop what you're doing." she ordered and he froze completely. "I want to do that."  
  
"Take my undies off?" Danny asked in shock.  
  
Emily nodded. "Yes. Then I'm going to take your hard cock into my mouth." she drawled seductively as she sauntered towards him as he visibly gulped. "But first, we are going to have a drink. You're far too nervous for my liking. I want you to be relaxed." she added having spied a bottle of Whisky on the bedside table. "Does that sound good to you?" she questioned as she stopped in front of him.  
  
"Yes." Danny choked out.  
  
"Good." Emily replied before reaching out and touched his junk teasingly before quickly turning around and blanched again. She couldn't believe she was in this bloody situation. She knew she should have just stayed at the party with Nigel and Serena even after what had happened instead of borrowing one of the cars and risking her life heading out into the night and coming to Miranda's, and then that Nate guy would never have come across her and they wouldn't be in this mess.  
  
"Sit down, would you, and make yourself comfortable and for bloody sake stop fidgeting." Emily snapped.  
  
Danny jumped at the tone, and nodded quickly. "Y-yes, sorry." he responded before laying down on the bed.  
  
"Good. That's better." Emily commented as she smirked at him and looked down at his boner through his jocks. "Oh god. Why am I doing this?" she asked herself as she picked up the Whisky bottle and took the lid off. She brought it to her nose and sniffed it. Yes, this was what she needed and she had to control herself to not take a chug from the bottle. "You're in for a long night tonight baby I hope you can keep up with me." she murmured as she began pouring two glasses and just as she was putting the bottle back down she spied a box of Sominex in the half opened drawer of the bed side table. She breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you." she whispered.  
  
"What?" Danny asked.  
  
Emily turned to the young guy and saw him staring at her.  
  
"What did you say?" Danny asked again.  
  
"Oh, um, I was just thanking the lovely universe that has given us this opportunity to be together on such an awful night." Emily said thanking her lucky stars for her ability to think quickly in stressful situations. She guessed she had Miranda Priestly to thank for that.  
  
Danny smiled. "I'm the lucky one. You're so sexy."  
  
"What a shame you can't actually have me." Emily thought to herself as she made sure Danny wasn't watching her as she dropped the dis-solvable tablets into the brown liquid. "Oh god!" she said when she noticed he was rubbing himself through his jocks.  
  
"You like that?" Danny asked, smirking.  
  
Emily squeaked. She quickly swished the whisky around in the glass in her left hand before she knelt onto the bed and moved over to Danny. "Alright, here we go." she said.  
  
Danny grabbed the glass with his big man hands and Emily watched as he tipped the whole half full glass of Whisky down his large gob. He looked at her still full glass and raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Right." Emily said and downed hers also. That was one thing she could do easily and successfully, down glass after glass of Whisky. Many people didn't believe her because of how skinny she is, but she surprised many by how well she could hold her alcohol. She dropped the glass on the bed when Danny took her by surprise and wrapped one of his big hands around her bra clad breast. "Um," she squeaked. "Before we start I need to tinkle, and you need to show me a condom."  
  
Danny sighed as Emily began crawling off the bed, but she couldn't get that far as the young guy grabbed her by the upper arm, pulled her back and shoved her down onto the bed and was suddenly on top of her.  
  
"I try to be as patient as possible with women these days, but when you tease and tease you need to act on it pretty much straight away, and if you don't I get really, really mad." Danny informed her.  
  
Emily swallowed hard. "Like I said, I need to tinkle, and I still don't see that condom."  
  
"I don't believe you. I see right through you and there is fear in your eyes." Danny said. "I don't like being lied to."  
  
"I'm not lying to you, I promise." Emily said, thankful her voice didn't quiver as she felt Danny thrust down onto her. She still had her pants on so he couldn't do anything yet. She closed her eyes and prayed those sleeping pills would kick in quick smart. "Let me show you how serious I am."  
  
"Good. I've been waiting too long for you to do that." Danny said, roughing grabbing her hand and shoving it down his jocks.  
  
Emily fought to not visibly blanch as she pulled her hand along his shaft. Caroline Priestly would be forever in her bloody debt for this!  
  
"Oh yeah, ahh.." Danny groaned, his eyes fluttering shut. "Softer than that."  
  
Emily bit the inside of her lip as she did as was requested. She had done this many a times to young guys so it really wasn't as bad as the alternative that he could have ripped her pants off and shoved his cock inside of her when she wasn't ready for it.  
  
Danny was moaning and grunting until he suddenly stopped.  
  
"Danny?" Emily whispered. No reply. He slumped down onto her and Emily groaned at his weight. "Bloody hell what do you eat!" she said as she used all her strength to roll him off of her. She raced into the bathroom and thoroughly watched her hands thrice trying her best to get his stench off her, but it still linger, and she literally gagged. "And when was the last time you had a bloody shower!" she said before storming out into the room. "Ugh, feral!" she said as she leaned down and grabbed her shirt that she had discarded and quickly put it on before she grabbed the gun and was about to pull the door open before she stopped and the uncertainty of what could happen next got the better of her and she retreated back into the room. She fell against the bed and grabbed the bottle of Whisky and chugged some down enjoying the feel of the liquid burning her throat as Danny snored obnoxiously loud behind her.  
  
Another few seconds in here won't hurt.  
  
The clock ticked and ticked on the wall above the door and it began to get too much and she jumped up. "Fucking hell!" she muttered before she slammed the bottle of Whisky down and stormed out of the room. "It's time to face the music, Charlton."  
  
~*~  
  
Caroline had been watching the TV Nate had turned on and they were reporting on a huge massacre that was occurring in downtown Los Angeles. It was absolutely horrible and Caroline would surely not be able to get the image out of her head for a while. She was pulled away from the tv when she saw Emily in the corner of her eye. She swallowed hard when Emily simply glared at her.  
  
Oh no, that didn't mean anything good. Emily surely hadn't actually had sex with that man?!  
  
The thought made Caroline's heart pound. She would never be able to forgive herself if Emily had actually done that. If so this next plan of hers had to work. "It has to!" she said to herself.  
  
Caroline raised an eyebrow at Emily and asked if she had gotten the gun.  
  
Emily nodded just as Nate turned around and saw her hovering near the staircase.  
  
"Where's Danny?"  
  
Emily pointed back behind her to the closed bedroom door. "I tired him out it would seem."  
  
Nate frowned and motioned for one of the other men to go check it out to see if Emily was lying or not. When the guy came back out and informed Nate that Danny was in fact out to the world Nate began speaking again.  
  
"Sit back down on the stairs." He ordered Emily.  
  
"Can I please sit on the couch?" Emily dared to ask.  
  
Nate sighed. "Fine."  
  
"Thank you." Emily responded before quickly making her way to the couch and she sat down next to Cassidy.  
  
"What did you do to my friend Danny?" Nate questioned.  
  
Emily smirked. "I'm sure you can think perfectly fine what we just did."  
  
"No." Nate snapped. "I want you to tell me everything so I know you're not lying."  
  
Emily squirmed uncomfortably. Had it not been for the Whisky she had just consumed she wouldn't have been able to say what she was about to in front of her boss and said bosses daughters one who clearly had a crush on her. She cleared her throat and avoided looking in Miranda's direction. "Well, if you insist however I think it is highly inappropriate to do so in front of two minors and my boss."  
  
Nate waved her words away. "Stop stalling. Talk!"  
  
"I gave Danny oral for a few minutes before getting on top of him and started riding him until we both came and then we drank some Whisky then he put me on my back and took me again, quicker this time, before he collapsed next to me and began snoring." Emily said with a roll of her eyes and ran a hand through her messed hair. "Quite the weak pussy, really. It was a major turn off as I could have gone again and again and again. I like my bedroom partners with stamina." the Brit finished before bravely turning to look at Miranda. "I apologise for having to do that."  
  
"You had no choice." Miranda simply replied hoping like nothing Emily really hadn't done what was just said as she was sure Emily didn't do men.  
  
"Give me the gun." Caroline whispered to Emily when Nate walked away seemingly bored of the conversation.  
  
"What!" Emily hissed. "No way in hell!"  
  
Caroline rolled her eyes. "I know how to use it."  
  
"I know, you've told me countless times and as the adult on this couch I cannot let you use this." Emily said.  
  
"Fine. You use it then or else what you just did in there was for no reason." Caroline responded. "Aim for the back of his knee."  
  
Emily opened and closed her mouth as her hands began to tremble.  
  
"Give me the gun! I won't ask again." Caroline hissed she said reaching around her twin and practically snatching the gun from Emily.  
  
Nate looked over upon seeing movement and wandered over to them again. "Why are you fidgeting?"  
  
"I have to pee." Caroline said.  
  
"Can't you hold it?" Nate asked.  
  
"That's what I've been doing for the past hour." Caroline responded. "Please let me go?" she asked sweetly.  
  
Nate nodded. "But make it quick!" he said, pulling Caroline up off the sofa and they walked over to the bathroom that was adjourned to the bedroom Caroline and Cassidy shared.  
  
Caroline stepped inside and was about to close the door when Nate stopped her. "Seriously?"  
  
Nate shrugged. "I have trust issues."  
  
Caroline sighed, and stood there with her arms crossed.  
  
"Are you going to go or what?" Nate questioned in annoyance.  
  
"Not with you standing there like that and everybody else out there able to see in." Caroline said.  
  
Nate sighed. "Fine, but if you try anything you know I won't be happy."  
  
"Yeah, yeah." Caroline replied as she pushed the door shut and locked it. She sat on the closed toilet seat and pulled out the gun she had hidden in her hoodie pocket. She knew this is what she had to do. She would shoot Nate, he would fall to the floor, and Emily would race forward and kick his gun away from him, and they would tie him up together before untying her mom and Andy.  
  
It sounded like a pretty good plan until she checked to see how many bullets were in the gun. Her stomach dropped when she realised there were no bullets. "Crap." she muttered. She needed to think of another plan, and fast. She stood and pulled the lid off the back of the toilet and dropped the gun into the water, thankful for the guns small size. She then walked over to the cabinet under the sink and perused the items that were there.  
  
A pair of golden nail clippers and a pair of small scissors that she and Cassidy had never used. She reached forward and picked them up feeling how sharp they were. They would do the trick, and could cause damage if she striked Nate in the right place a few times. She put them into her pajama pants pocket and opened the door.  
  
Nate immediately appeared and she smiled at him.  
  
"Get back onto the couch."  
  
He ordered her.  
  
"Okay." Caroline replied all too sweetly as she sat back down next to her twin. When Nate turned away she leaned closer to Cassidy. "Tell Em that there were no bullets in the gun."  
  
Cassidy's eyes widened before repeating to Emily what Caroline said.  
  
"What?" Emily hissed. She couldn't believe what she had heard. Had she really touched a random guys junk for absolutely no reason?! "For fuck sake!"  
  
"It's okay. I have a Plan B." Cassidy repeated Caroline's words again.  
  
"Oh, because that makes me feel sooo much better." Emily muttered.  
  
Caroline rolled her eyes. She would impress Emily with what happened next she was sure of it.  
  
Even though Caroline knew what she was about to do would be really dumb but saw no other choice? It was obvious Nate would somehow end up taking Andy and that could not happen. Her mom had been the happiest she has seen her in a long time tonight, and she wanted Andy to be around for good.  
  
"I'm gonna do it now." Caroline whispered more to herself than to her twin and Emily. The redhead jumped up off the sofa and took a deep breath before speaking. "Hey Nate, you asshole, I've got something for you!" she yelled and as soon as Nate was turning around, slow and not at all ready for her onslaught, as she launched at him and attacked him in the neck stabbing him for what felt like a dozen times and because she had taken him by such surprise the gun dropped from his hand.  
  
Nate cried out in pain as Caroline pushed herself away from him watching as the man clutched at his neck.  
  
"Not so tough now, are you?" Caroline asked, beginning to laugh deliriously even though she knew that was inappropriate, however this was a bizarre situation a girl her age to be in.  
  
~*~


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dramatic themes/violence, medical scenes.  
> I don't know anything about medical stuff except for what I see on TV, so, I really hope that there aren't too many glaringly mistakes in the end of this chapter, and please if there is kindly point it out and I'll try my best to fix it. Thank you.

~*~  
  
Miranda watched with eyes wide with worry and fear as her daughter attacked Nate with a pair of flimsy make-up scissors. He was absolutely taken aback by the attack so much so as she watched as Nate practically allowed the gun to drop out of his hand.  
  
"What are you going to do now you lil cry baby?" Caroline teased.  
  
Miranda shook her head. Her daughter always loved being the hero in some way, but in this case she really wished her daughter hadn't tried to be one. This was only going to make the situation so much worse.  
  
Nate looked up, his hand still clutching his neck, and turned nasty eyes onto Caroline. "The bitch stabbed me!" he yelled, it was low and deep.  
  
Caroline gulped. She hadn't striked him in the correct spot in the neck. He was supposed to have blood spurting out of him by now and gasping for air as the life slowly drained out of him. It was after all the purge night and Caroline felt no remorse for the thoughts she was having. She knew she shouldn't say anything more, but she couldn't help herself, she was running on adrenalin. "What are you gonna do about it?" she questioned.  
  
What happened next caused Caroline to gasp in shock.  
  
Nate jumped up off the ground and grabbed her by the arm. "You'll regret you decided to do that once I'm done with you." he growled, whirling Caroline roughly around to face Miranda. "You hear that, mommy?" he asked, as he ran his fingers over Caroline's lips and down her neck dangerously close to her breasts. "I'm gonna take your daughter the way a violent little slut deserves so much so that her throat will hurt so much that she won't be able to speak or eat nor be able to sit down." he said and looked over at Andy. "You know how that feels, don't you Andy? At least that will give you girls something to bond over."  
  
By now Miranda had gotten so riled up that she began writhing around in her chair trying to undo the rope. She would kill Nate with her bare hands!  
  
"No! Don't you dare touch her!!" Miranda yelled. "Don't you dare do this!!!"  
  
"Oh, I'm going to and were going to have so much fun." Nate said, winking at Miranda as he began pulling Caroline along with him beginning to pass Miranda. "We'll make it even better and do it in your room so that you can hear, how's that?" he asked Miranda.  
  
Miranda spat at Nate. "You'll regret this!!!"  
  
"It's going to be okay." Caroline said as she passed her mother trying to avoid looking her in the eye. "It's going to be okay." she repeated more to herself this time.  
  
"Please don't do this!" Miranda cried, pleading with Nate. "Take me instead! Do whatever you want with me! I don't care, just take me."  
  
"Awwww." Nate said looking over his shoulder at Miranda. "How sweet is that? Let me think for a second...” he trailed off looking Miranda up and down. "No." he spat. "You're too late, old dragon, your daughter has to pay for what she did to me."  
  
"Nate, come on, let’s talk about this. There's better ways to resolve this." Andy said. "Please Nate. I've realised my mistake. I shouldn't have let you go the way I did. I understand the why you're doing this, but you don't have to anymore. You're hurt, and upset, and I'm so deeply sorry I've allowed this to happen to you. I'm an idiot, but I'm your idiot. That's what you always said, remember?" she said, pleading with him. "Please, untie me and take me home. We can forget this night ever happened. I love you, and only you, Nate. Were soulmates."  
  
Nate looked at Andy with sad eyes. "Do you really think I'd believe you after all this, Andy? I can't believe you're that stupid."  
  
Andy shrugged. "Can't blame me for trying. Guess that’s what you do when the love of your life’s daughter is at the hands of a mentally unstable rapist."  
  
Nate began laughing then. "You can't really think you're a lesbian, Andy, I've seen what you do with my dick. You'll want that again someday because really do you want to spend the rest of your life with her?"  
  
"If I'm lucky enough and she wants that." Andy replied, but did not look at Miranda. She knew the older woman was too worked up to look at her lovingly when her daughter was about to be raped and she was the reason as to why this was happening. She looked at the older woman whom wasn't looking at her, but she saw Miranda give a faint nod.  
  
"It won't be long until she dies of old age, Andy." Nate said. "Now if you'll excuse me I have this spoilt brat to attend to. I'll leave the door open so you can see and hear it all."  
  
"I will kill you myself you sick man." Miranda said.  
  
Nate laughed. "I'd love to see you try." He said before taking Caroline into the main bedroom.  
  
Andy looked over to Emily who looked white as a ghost and was staring at the wall ahead of her, and Cassidy was shaking and sobbing. She turned back to Miranda whose throat was convulsing and she was obviously trying to stop herself from being sick at the thought of her daughter in the hands of Nate. She then noticed Patricia, who had been growling the whole time at Nate, was trying her best to get out of the collar that the leash was attached to that one of Nate's guys had tied her up with. "That's it Patricia, you're nearly there!" she egged the dog on, she could see the last couple of notches on her collar were coming lose. "You've nearly got it! Yes!" she said and looked into the bedroom where she saw Caroline sprawled on the bed and Nate pacing back and forth. "It'll be all over in a minute." she whispered just as Nate got on top of Caroline who was thankfully still fully dressed. Andy had to have faith in Patricia that she could get Caroline out of this situation.  
  
Through blurry eyes Miranda stared at Emily who looked the way she was sure she did. She knew the Brit had a soft spot for her girls, Caroline especially, and watched as Emily called out to Caroline telling her it was going to be okay. She then heard Andrea say something about Patricia, but nothing was making sense, all she knew was that her daughter was getting sexually abused and there was nothing she could do about it. She had never felt so helpless in her life.  
  
"Miranda, look at me!" Andy demanded.  
  
The older woman heard her lover’s voice, but couldn't speak nor could she move her head. She felt like she was going to be sick and tried her best to keep it down.  
  
"Miranda, you have to stay strong."  
  
Andrea continued to speak. She wanted to say that it wasn't going to be okay, she wanted to scream, but she couldn't. Her voice wouldn't work. She was utterly speechless.  
  
"Caroline needs you to stay strong." Andy continued.  
  
Miranda swallowed down bile and slowly managed to turn blurry eyes to Andrea who was staring at her. She opened her mouth, and only a sob came out, she couldn't believe her own ears. She hadn't heard that sound come out of her mouth for decades.  
  
What happened next confused Miranda? She heard a strange notice hit the ground behind her, and then heard something bounding across the hard wood floor. What she heard next made her eyes widened and she managed to comprehend what was occurring and she managed to whip her head to the left, a move which made her dizzy, and saw her beloved Patricia with Nate's lower leg in her mouth, and dragging him off of Caroline and across the floor.  
  
Nate was yelling out in pain, and through the dizziness Miranda began to chuckle. "Good girl, Patricia." she cooed as she continued to dig deeper into his leg with her sharp teeth.  
  
"That's enough, Patricia."  
  
Miranda then heard Caroline's voice and she looked up through eyes welling with tears. She smiled widely and sadly. "Are you okay?" she whispered, unsure if she wanted to hear the answer.  
  
"A little shaken up, but I'm a Priestly, I'm tough and will get over this." Caroline said.  
  
Miranda nodded. "That's my girl." she said and wished she could swoop her daughter into her arms, but she was still restrained by the ropes.  
  
"That dog is fucking dead!" Nate yelled at Patricia who was still growling at him. "It's a fucking monster!"  
  
"She's not a monster!" Caroline yelled. "She saved me from a crazed psycho, and she hates men!"  
  
"What, are all you Priestly women infected with the gay?" Nate asked laughingly. "You know, I have read it runs in the genes. You poor girls having to deal with that all because of your Ice Queen mother giving birth to you."  
  
"I don't care." Caroline firmly said. "I'm grateful to be gay because I don't have to put up with asshole men like you who only think about their fucking dicks and take advantage of innocent women!"  
  
Nate continued to laugh hysterically before pointing the gun he had managed to grab from where it had been kicked out of his hand from earlier. "Keep your dirty mouth shut because I swear if you talk one more time I'll put a bullet in your precious doggie."  
  
"No you won't, you have all these threats, but they're just words. You don't have it in you to shoot an innocent dog." Caroline said. "I wouldn't even be surprised if you didn't know how to use a gun." she added.  
  
What happened next had Caroline's stomach dropping, and moving on instinct she stepped in front of Patricia just as a bullet hit her in the upper thigh and she heard another bullet release from the gun. She stared down at her leg with a loud groan and she fell down onto the floor. The pain was excruciating.  
  
A noise pulled Caroline out of her hazy, pain filled bubble, and she slowly looked up at Andy who was staring at her mother in shock. Caroline then turned to her mother who was clutching at her lower stomach.  
  
Miranda looked down at the sharp and very painful sensation in her lower abdomen and realised that the second bullet had hit her. She cried out from the pain and somehow her hands managed to move and she clasped them over the wound.  
  
"Mooom!" Caroline cried. "No, no, no!" she yelled and tried to move over to her mom, but the pain in her thigh was just too much.  
  
Nate stared at shock. It was one thing to have shot Caroline in the leg, but it was a whole other thing to have shot Miranda in the gut. That was definitely going to be fatal. He turned to Andy eyes wide with fear. "I didn't mean to do that, Andy!" he said when the brunette turned angry and sad eyes onto him. "I swear it, Andy, I didn't mean to shoot her. It was meant to hit the dog!"  
  
Andy turned to Emily. "Tie him up!" she yelled.  
  
Emily jumped out of the haze she had been in and looked at Andy.  
  
"Do it, now!" Andy said.  
  
Emily nodded and jumped into action. She used the rope that had been tied around her, and then with all her strength she pulled Nate into a sitting position and he oddly enough didn't put up a fight as she began tying his hands around his back.  
  
"Now untie me!" Andy said.  
  
Emily hurriedly did so as Andy stared at Miranda. "The knots are done really well." the Brit said, her hands were shaking, and she tried her best to concentrate, but the sound of Miranda groaning in pain wasn't helping.  
  
"Mom, look at me, please!" Caroline yelled, but all Miranda could see or do was stare at her lower abdomen.  
  
Through the aching pain Miranda and Caroline were both feeling they heard Andy beginning to talk, taking action over the situation, and Andrea was suddenly in front of her, her hands replacing her own as she held them tightly against her wound whilst Emily began untying Cassidy who was rooted to the spot.  
  
"Cassidy, I need you to focus." Andy said and looked at Emily. "Get me towels, lots of them!" she ordered and Emily ran into the direction of the bathroom. She turned back to Cassidy. "Look, I know that you're scared, but I need your help to keep pressure on Caroline's wound so Emily can help with your mom."  
  
Cassidy looked over at her through watery eyes before looking down at her lap. The seat underneath her was wet. She had wet herself from the shock of what had happened. The sound of bullets still ringing in her ears. She couldn't shake herself out of the trance she was in.  
  
"Please get up, Cassidy." Andy tried again as she looked at Miranda's face, her lovers eyes fluttering closed. "No, Miranda, you have to keep your eyes open for me!" she said gently and urgently. "You can't fall asleep yet."  
  
"Cassidy, stop wallowing and come and fucking help me!" Caroline cried.  
  
That seemed to shake Cassidy to attention and she shot up from the couch. She started crying even more when she saw all the blood coming from her mom. "Oh my god." she said and sobbed while she kneeled down in front of Cassidy and placed a towel on her sisters thigh and held tightly all the while staring at her mother who looked as white as a ghost. "She's going to die, isn't she?!"  
  
"No!" Andy yelled. "She's not going to die!" she said and looked at Miranda who looked at her with fluttering eyes. "You hear me, Miranda? You have to stay with us so please keep your eyes open and continue to look at me!"  
  
The words entered Miranda's ears, and she nodded, and tried her best to follow the orders, but she was never good when it came to following orders. She supposed that’s where her daughters got that trait from.  
  
"Look at me, Miranda." Andy continued to plead every time Miranda tried to close her eyes. "We need to get her into the car." she said to Emily.  
  
Miranda looked at Andrea again. "E-Eric." she managed to say.  
  
"Dad can help us!" Cassidy said then. "Mom said he wasn't far from where we are even though he wasn't supposed to tell her that."  
  
Miranda opened and closed her mouth trying to speak some more, but found she couldn't. Her mouth was incredibly dry and she found it had to swallow.  
  
"Don't try to talk, Miranda. Just continue to look at me, okay?" Andy said before she turned to Emily. "Get that door open upstairs and then get Eric on the phone. I'm getting Miranda into the car." she said as Miranda continued to look at her. "That's it, gorgeous, just keep doing that. You're going to be okay."  
  
Andy turned to Caroline as she stood. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Don't worry about me, worry about mom." Caroline responded.  
  
Andy nodded. "But I don't want you falling asleep either. I know you haven't hit your head or anything, but we cannot risk it."  
  
Caroline nodded.  
  
"And Cassidy keep firm pressure on Caroline's leg." Andy said.  
  
Cassidy nodded. "Yes, Andy."  
  
"Good." Andy said and with that she leaned down and with all her strength she picked Miranda Priestly up into her arms just as Emily called down to her letting her know that the door was open and that she would have the car turned on and ready to go.  
  
"Can you walk?" Andy asked Caroline as she headed towards the staircase with Miranda.  
  
"Yeah, I think so. Cass can help me." Caroline replied.  
  
"Alright, come on then." Andy said.  
  
"What are we supposed to do?" Caroline asked.  
  
"The hospitals won't take us in. They're all in lock down." Cassidy continued.  
  
"We'll think of something." Andy said. "Hopefully your Dad can help us. He has a medical career, doesn't he?"  
  
"He worked in the Royal Army as a doctor, but then quit that, and decided he wanted to go on the front line." Caroline said as she gritted her teeth through the pain that walking up the stairs caused, but didn't complain because her mother was experiencing much worse.  
  
"He'll know how to help Mom, I know he will." Cassidy said. "He's taught me a lot of medical things."  
  
"That's why you want to be a doctor." Andy said.  
  
"Yeah." Cassidy responded as they walked through the dark shack thankful that Emily helped guide them out with a flash light.  
  
"Have you got Eric on the phone?" Andy asked.  
  
"Yes." Emily replied.  
  
"Good. Get in the car." Andy said and watched as Emily got into the back and from the opposite side of the car Andy slowly and gently put Miranda into the car, the Runway Editors head resting against Emily's.  
  
"I'll sit next to mom." Caroline said as there was enough room for her because her mom’s legs were curled.  
  
"Okay." Andy said. "Remember to keep pressure on your leg." she said and turned to Cassidy. "Looks like you're with me in the front." she added and with that she got into the car and once Cassidy was buckled in she sped down the drive way thankful that Emily had already turned the car around. She then put the ear piece in her phone that was sitting in the centre console of the car near the cup holders as Emily placed the phone in one of them. "Eric, I really hope you're able to help me here!"  
  
~*~  
  
Like every other night Eric Martin was at work situated deep underground in a secret agency that kept an eye on the world wide situations. There may be the "New Founding Fathers of America", but that didn't mean the War had stopped, it had only worsened. North Korea were making more severe threats every single day, and it wouldn't be long until something went down. And then there was ISIS who were relentless in their kidnappings and public live feeds of their be-headings.  
  
So, even though America didn't have its own Government system anymore, they still had to look out for themselves, and that’s what he was here for, he was a Spy, something he knew his girls, especially Caroline, would be totally thrilled to know as she loved all those kinds of movies and tv series. However he wasn't here for America, oh no, he was here as a mole.  
  
Eric Martin was keeping an eye on the American's and reporting back anything suspicious to his boss back in England. He definitely wasn't a traitor to his own country, and he would die for England, everyone that knew him knew that.  
  
His fingers were currently flying across his keyboard, and he stopped feeling the need to stretch. He leaned back in his computer chair and cracked his knuckles and neck, something Miranda always hated, and sighed before rubbing tired eyes. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a decent night’s sleep.  
  
Looking around the room he saw his work colleagues working hard. There were five men, six including him, and two women, and Eric knew every little detail about them. He leaned forward again and began continuing his task at hand just as his cell began vibrating. He looked down at said cell and saw Miranda's ex-assistant, and current friend, Emily Charlton calling. He picked it up instantly. "Emily, is everything okay?" he questioned. From what he knew she wasn't spending the night with the Priestly's, but ever since he helped her that very first Purge night at the airport he had a soft spot for the snooty Brit.  
  
Eric listened as the normally very well put together Brit was hysterically talking to him. His eyes widened at what he was hearing, and before he knew it he was speaking to Andy Sachs, another assistant he had liked and knew that his daughters did also.  
  
"Andy, you're doing really well." Eric calmly said. He was extremely impressed by how well the young brunette was keeping herself together, and even though he wanted to know what on earth had went down, those were questions to ask later. "I've already found you a location to bring Miranda and the girls to. It's a twenty minute drive though."  
  
"I can have them there sooner than that." Andy informed him. "I'm a good driver, I learnt from the best, I can have them there sooner."  
  
"Very well. Just look after them, Andy, they're all I have." Eric said, allowing his emotions to get the better of him.  
  
"Of course." Andy replied.  
  
"I'll meet you there." Eric said. "You're doing well."  
  
"Okay. See you soon." Andy said and with that Eric ended the call. He turned to one of his colleagues, Robert who he knew had a secret fetish for women’s lingerie, who looked at him with concern.  
  
"Everything okay, mate?"  
  
"No. Not at all." Eric said. "Can you cover for me?"  
  
~*~  
  
"Take the next left." Emily announced and Andy slammed on the brakes and took a tight left turn. "And then the next left again just past the train line." she said reading from the map and directions Eric had sent her.  
  
"Caroline, bobbsey." Miranda said hoarsely as she held a shaking left hand out for her daughter.  
  
Caroline gripped her mom’s hand. "I'm right here, mom." she said, trying not to cry.  
  
"Cassidy, my baby?" Miranda whispered.  
  
Cassidy turned around in the front seat and looked at her mom. "I'm here." she said, reaching out and taking her mom’s right hand.  
  
"You girls are being so strong and infinitely brave." Miranda whispered, swallowing through her dry throat. "You have no idea how proud of you both I am. I will always love you, always remember that, and know that I'll always be with you." she said and had a feeling she wouldn't be getting out of this one.  
  
"Mom!" Caroline cried. "Don't talk like that, please!" she begged.  
  
"You aren't going to die. You can't." Cassidy said.  
  
Andy watched from the rear-view mirror as Miranda closed her eyes and visibly swallowed as she tried to blink her tears away.  
  
"You're going to grow into amazing women, and I know you have it in you to do whatever you dream of, and I'll always be watching down on you with every step you take." Miranda continued.  
  
"Why are you doing this?" Cassidy cried.  
  
Emily was utterly speechless as she listened to the Priestly's speak softly to one another. Cassidy sobbing and Caroline frozen to the spot.  
  
"You don't have to have this conversation, Miranda, I'm going to get you to the medical facility, and you're going to be totally fine." Andy said.  
  
"I appreciate your positivity, Andrea, but with the way I currently feel it's hard for me to see myself getting out of this one." Miranda said. She could feel the life draining out of her the more blood she lost.  
  
Caroline and Cassidy couldn't believe their ears.  
  
"So, that's it, huh?" Caroline angrily said. "You're just going to give up?"  
  
Miranda sighed. "I'm simply being realistic, sweetheart. My situation is extremely critical."  
  
"Well, that's just fucking brilliant then." Caroline said.  
  
Miranda's eyes widened at the language, and she was about to reprimand her when her daughter continued.  
  
"You might as well tell Emily now then that she'll be taking over your position at Runway if you think you're going to die." Caroline snapped.  
  
Emily gasped and she looked from Andy in the rear-view mirror to Caroline and then Miranda. "I wouldn't even know where to begin. Miranda, you cannot be serious. I mean, Nigel would make more sense, he's the better option."  
  
"Nigel will be running the new men’s Runway that I've got going in the works. I was going to tell him next month." Miranda said. "Now you'll be telling him." she said and groaned at a new stab of pain. This pain was different to the last. "Just trust me, Emily, when I say you're perfect for the job. Have more faith in yourself, Emily."  
  
Caroline scoffed. "Fucking hell. This is bloody brilliant." she said as her mother turned sharp eyes onto her.  
  
"I'm really not liking this new found language you're using." Miranda said.  
  
"Well, you're pissing me off." Caroline said. "You used to say that we Priestly's were strong, that we should never give up no matter the circumstances are, and here you're doing what you said you'd never do, giving up."  
  
"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but it's had to stay positive when the hospitals are in lockdown and my ex-husband is going to perform surgery on me with barely any tools." Miranda responded.  
  
Caroline scoffed again. "Nice to see you have so little faith in Dad." she snapped and stared straight ahead, unclasping her hand from her mothers. "Go ahead and just give up then!" she yelled, and the car instantly fell silent as Caroline snapped her mouth shut. She hadn't meant to say that, really, but she was so damn angry with this whole situation.  
  
The car remained silent as they listened to Miranda's heavy breathing and their own loudly beating hearts.  
  
Caroline froze and her breath caught when she felt a finger touching her own pinkie finger. The redhead slowly looked down and breathed out shakily when she saw Emily's pinkie finger intertwine with hers.  
  
Caroline's heart pounded as she looked across and her eyes connected with Emily's.  
  
"It's going to be okay." Emily mouthed.  
  
Caroline smiled sadly at her and squeezed the Brits pinkie.  
  
"Emily, which direction now?!" Andy asked causing both back seat passengers to jump and they whipped their hands back to their own laps.  
  
"The next right, and then it's only a couple miles down the road until we are at the medical facility." Emily responded.  
  
"Did you hear that, Miranda, not long now." Andy said.  
  
However there was no response from the Runway Editor.  
  
"Miranda!" Both Andy and Emily said.  
  
"Mom!" The twins chorused.  
  
Miranda breathed in deeply through her nostrils causing her to snort. "Calm down, I'm still here." she said. "Just resting my eyes."  
  
"You have to stay awake for me." Andy said.  
  
"I'm doing my best, darling." Miranda commented.  
  
"We still have a date we need to have, remember?" Andy said.  
  
Miranda smiled, finding Andrea's eyes in the rear-view mirror again. "I could never forget that."  
  
Andy smiled also.  
  
"Deer!!!" Caroline yelled.  
  
"Already saw it!" Andy responded and swerved like a pro around said deer that had been stuck frozen staring at the SUVs headlights.  
  
"You never told me you drove like a race car driver, Andrea." Miranda said. "You were obviously on your best behaviour that weekend you drove the girls and I to the Hamptons when Roy was sick."  
  
"Yes, and that was hard for me as I'm used to being a led foot." Andy commented.  
  
Miranda chuckled, but shouldn't have as it caused her to start coughing violently. "Well, seeing you driving like this is quite the turn on." she managed to say once she got the coughing under control.  
  
Andy bit her lip as Caroline and Cassidy turned shocked looks to their mother.  
  
"Ewwww, mooom!" Cassidy said.  
  
Miranda only snorted.  
  
Emily was completely speechless. She had always been able to picture Miranda Priestly with a woman, but never thought she would see the day, especially with small town gal Andy Sachs. But, surprisingly they seemed to suit each other perfectly, and if Miranda got through this, she wished them nothing but the best as she was sincerely happy for her boss.  
  
"How are you feeling, Caroline?" Miranda questioned.  
  
"I'm okay, hardly any pain at all." Caroline responded, lying through her teeth.  
  
"You're a bad liar." Miranda said.  
  
Caroline rolled her eyes in Priestly fashion and Emily covered a smirk.  
  
"It's true." Emily softly said and at the look Caroline shot her she began laughing.  
  
"You three are so good together." Miranda said, commenting on the friendship Emily and the twins had. "Just like sisters."  
  
Caroline's heart pounded and her mouth went dry as she felt Emily stiffen next to her.  
  
"Yeah Caroline, just like sisters." Cassidy said and couldn't help but also laugh.  
  
Caroline lifted her good foot and shoved the back of Cassidy's chair, hard.  
  
Andy raised an eyebrow at the twins banter. She had figured out throughout the night that Caroline clearly had a crush on Emily by the way she spoke about her and then with the way she looked at Emily the first time she saw her earlier. The brunette wasn't at all surprised because for one Emily definitely was very attractive in her unique way.  
  
The car was silent again and Andy spoke.  
  
"Tell me about the dreadful Chanel shoot again?" She asked Miranda whose eyes kept fluttering shut. "What was it that the model said to you again?"  
  
Miranda groaned. "I can't. It's getting worse."  
  
"Miranda, stay with us please, everything is going to be alright." Andy said, looking behind her at Miranda who was clutching at her lower abdomen. "We are nearly there."  
  
Miranda groaned some more.  
  
"The bloods getting so much more." Caroline said. Emily was absolutely covered in it she said before she started talking, or more like rambling, and was relieved when she saw her mother kept her eyes open for the duration of her chatter and before they knew it they were arriving into a small town.  
  
"You're doing so good, Miranda, we are so close to getting you help." Andy said.  
  
Miranda grunted. She knew she had to hang in there. She couldn't let her daughters grow up without their mother when she had been such a terrible mother for the last several years.  
  
"Our destination is only two minutes away, or at least that’s what the map is telling me." Emily said.  
  
Andy nodded and kept her eyes peeled for a medical facility. It turned out that the map was correct and they were pulling up to a building and Andy's eyes widened as she shut off the car and stepped out onto the quiet main street. "It's a fucking morgue!" she whispered to Emily.  
  
"Bloody perfect!" Emily whispered sarcastically.  
  
Just then they heard the sound of an incoming helicopter and they all looked up, minus Miranda who was still laying in the back.  
  
"That isn't..." Andy began, but got cut off by Cassidy. "That's Dad!!"  
  
Andy heard Miranda say something and she instantly poked her head into the car. "What was that gorgeous?"  
  
"Eric always did know how to arrive in style." Miranda said.  
  
Andy smiled.  
  
Miranda cleared her throat just before Andy picked her up. "It's just a shame he never used that style on me."  
  
"He was crazy not to." Andy murmured. "You're utterly amazing and deserve to be treated that way."  
  
"Sweet talker." Miranda whispered looking up into Andrea's eyes. "You know flattery will get you everywhere."  
  
Andy chuckled just as Eric's voice came from around the side of the building telling them that there was a door around there for them to enter through.  
  
"I know this place isn't ideal, but it has all the medical supplies I'll need." Eric said as they hurried inside, he flicked all the lights on, and Andy laid Miranda down on one of the extremely uncomfortable metal looking tables.  
  
"Sorry." Andy whispered as Miranda groaned at the obvious discomfort from the metal underneath her.  
  
"Caroline, how are you feeling?" Eric asked studying his daughter’s leg.  
  
"I'm good. Concentrate on Mom." Caroline replied shoving her Dad away.  
  
Eric nodded. "Alright, but if you start to feel dizzy or anything you have to let me know instantly."  
  
"I will." Caroline said and they all watched as Eric began cutting open Miranda's blouse.  
  
Emily turned away then when Miranda's breasts came into sight. She realised just how badly she was shaking then and she felt extremely light headed.  
  
"Are you alright?" Andy questioned coming to a stop next to Emily who started to sway. She put her arms around the woman and guided her over to a chair.  
  
"Just a bit light headed, but I'll be fine." Emily responded.  
  
"Of course." Andy said sensing Emily didn't want to be fussed over. She looked over at Cassidy. "Can you see if you can find Emily a glass of water please?"  
  
Cassidy nodded and left the room quickly.  
  
"Andrea." Miranda said, gasping, and the brunette was instantly by her side taking the older woman’s hand.  
  
"I'm here, gorgeous." Andy whispered squeezing Miranda's hand.  
  
"Come closer." Miranda said.  
  
Andy did so, resting her head against Miranda's forehead and Miranda released a shaky breath as the Runway Editor fought to keep her eyes open as they connected with Andrea's.  
  
"Thank you." Miranda murmured.  
  
"What for?" Andy questioned.  
  
"Thank you for treating me like a lady and making me feel so wonderful." Miranda whispered. "You don't know how special that made me feel."  
  
Andy smiled as she placed the softest of kisses on Miranda's dry lips. She was about to speak, but Eric cut her off.  
  
"I'm putting in a cannula in your hand now, Miranda, so you'll feel a slight pinch."  
  
Miranda nodded.  
  
"Then I'll be giving you some anesthetic, but unfortunately you're still going to feel pain when I get the bullet out of you." Eric continued. "I can't put you to sleep because I never learned to do that, but I've taken bullets out of hundreds of people in this part of the body before and lots of other spots in even worse conditions than this with absolutely no pain killers, and you know that I've even taken bullets out of myself."  
  
"So, in other words, she's going to be in a whole world of pain." Andy said.  
  
"Yes." Eric said. "Alright, I've injected you with the appropriate amount of anesthetic so now it's time for the next part." he said as he looked over at Cassidy who was watching with eagerness but also dread. "Cass, you'll be my nurse. I'm going to have you suction any blood when I ask you to." he said even though he didn't think there would be any need for Cassidy to do anything as he wasn't cutting Miranda open.  
  
"Okay, I can do that." Cassidy said. She had watched and studied enough about medical procedures that suctioning blood was super easy.  
  
"I know this is going to be hard, but I need you to concentrate, and try your best to ignore that it's your mom laying on the table, okay?" Eric softly said.  
  
Cassidy nodded. "I can do it." she said firmly, looking her Dad in the eyes.  
  
"Good." Eric replied and looked over at Emily who looked a bit better than she had before. "I need you and Andy to hold Miranda down."  
  
Emily stood up on slightly shaky legs and nodded her head rounding the table behind Eric and placed her still bloody hands on Miranda's shoulder and chest as Andy did the same thing. Eric looked at Miranda then. "We'll start now then."  
  
Caroline watched from where she sat and felt completely useless wishing there was something she was able to do, but instead she was stuck there with a hole in her leg.  
  
"On the count of three." Eric said. "One, tw-"  
  
"No, stop!" Miranda said unexpectedly. "It's going to hurt too much. I'll wait until the morning until I can get to a hospital."  
  
"That's over two hours away until hospitals re-open." Eric responded. "You don't have two hours." he added firmly. "You will bleed out and die before the Purge even concludes. Is that really want you want? What you want your daughters to witness?"  
  
"I'm not strong enough for this!" Miranda cried out not at all ashamed that her ex-assistants, new found lover, and children were witnessing her emotional out-pour.  
  
"Well, you're going to have to be!" Eric said, continuing. "Because I'm not going to allow my best friend whom I love dearly and the mother of my children to die. Our children need their mother!"  
  
Miranda bit her lip and remained quiet. She knew that Eric was one hundred percent true she just didn't think she had the strength in her to get through this.  
  
"We are going to start now. No more interruptions." Eric said.  
  
Miranda forgot just how bossy Eric could be. "On the count of three. One, two..." and then there was the most excruciating pain as Eric stopped talking and put his fingers inside Miranda's wound.  
  
The loud wail that happened next caused Andy and Emily to jump into action as Miranda strained against them and they had to forcefully keep Miranda down.  
  
"Oh, you son of a fucking bastard!" Miranda screamed as she ground her teeth and continued to sob and shriek. The pain she was feeling felt like she was in hell. That's how bad it was, and she wouldn't wish this on her worst enemy.  
  
"Nothing but the truth there." Eric murmured. His father wasn't an honorable man and still to this day screwed around on his newest wife with young whores. "Won't be much longer now, Miranda." he said, eyes closed as he felt around for the bullet.  
  
"You're doing so well, Miranda." Andy whispered. "I'm right here. You're going to be okay."  
  
"Got it!" Eric announced a couple seconds later. "I'm taking the bullet out now." he said and slowly pulled his  fingers  out from Miranda's wound.  
  
The older woman let out a guttural moan as she felt Eric's fingers exit her body, and even as she heard the bullet drop into a tray it still felt as if his fingers were still buried inside of her wound. The pain was just too much, her heart pounded, and she began struggling for air.  
  
"I'm going to start stitching you up now, Miranda." Eric informed the Runway Editor.  
  
"I can't..." Miranda gasped. "I can't... can't breathe."  
  
Emily gasped when she heard Miranda's whisper. "She can't breathe!"  
  
Eric's hands were hovering over Miranda's abdomen and had been about to begin stitching when he stopped at Emily's words. He looked up and saw the freaked out look on Emily and Andy's faces.  
  
"Oh my god, she's struggling to breathe!" Emily added before she herself becoming hysterical.  
  
"Calm down." Eric said firmly.  
  
"Mom!" Caroline cried out.  
  
"I'm going to have to intubate her." Eric said as he handed over the needle and string to Cassidy. "You know what to do." he said as Cassidy shakily took needle and string. "I've taught you, and seen you do it countless times ever since you were five."  
  
Cassidy nodded. Yes, she could do this. She still remembers the day her Daddy taught her how to stitch up fake bodies and bananas, something she still does on a daily basis several times a day because she wants to be the best student she can be when she gets accepted into medical school and excel beyond the rest of them.  
  
"There's no way you'll stuff this up. I have faith in you." Eric said.  
  
Cassidy nodded. "I can do this."  
  
Andy watched as Cassidy looked from her Dad to Miranda's abdomen. "Your mom will be so proud when she hears about this."  
  
Cassidy smiled. She knew her mom would be, and so with a deep breath she readied herself. This was what she was meant to do. "It's a beautiful day to save lives." she uttered her favourite quote from Derek in Grey's Anatomy. She wanted to be a surgeon just like him.  
  
"I'm looking in her mouth now. It all looks fine and clear." Eric announced and grabbed the intubation tools. "Starting to intubate now."  
  
Andy noticed Eric's hands shaking and knew that was not an option. One wrong move on his part and he could wreck Miranda's vocal chords, and Miranda would hate that. She placed a comforting hand on top his and he looked her in the eye. "It's okay. You're doing awesome." she said, this time the one consoling him.  
  
Eric nodded, and took a deep breath, and steadied his hands.  
  
"That's better." Andy thought, but did not say, as Eric's hands looked normal and he was calmer.  
  
"I'm inserting the tube." Eric said, more to himself than anyone else however Andy was listening to every word and watching everything he was doing. "Everything looks good." he said before securing the ventilator in Miranda's throat. He stepped away and breathed a sigh of relief when the ventilator machine began beeping and helped Miranda breath for the next couple hours. His ex-wife was going to be perfectly fine, she had to be, and he knew that he did everything he could and he was just grateful that there was an actual ventilator machine instead of having to hold a hand held pump to get air into Miranda's lungs.  
  
"Awesome Dad!" Caroline said.  
  
Eric looked up at his daughter and smiled as he took off his mask just as Cassidy was finishing the stitching of Miranda's wound. He went over and examined it before raising his hand. "High five."  
  
Cassidy high fived her dad and laughed before she took off her mask and gloves. She looked over at Caroline who was grinning at her.   
  
"You rock, Cass!" Caroline said. "You'll definitely make a great surgeon someday!"  
  
Cassidy continued to laugh as she moved over to her twin and sat down next to her, and they both watched as their mom breathed with the help of the machine.  
  
"Is she going to need blood transfusion?" Emily asked.  
  
Eric nodded. "Sooner the better." he responded as he walked over to Caroline with a fresh pair of gloves and another mask. He motioned for Caroline to lay down on the table.  
  
"We can give her our blood." Caroline said.  
  
Andy shook her head. "I'll do it." she announced and Eric looked over at her. "I'm type O. I give blood once a year every year. I'm used to doing this."  
  
"Last time you got tested?" Eric of course had to ask even though it was obvious this woman and his ex-husband were intimate together.  
  
"Two months ago. I'm fine." Andy said. "I want to do this."  
  
"Alright, sit down, I'll get the transfusion happening and then I'll do your leg." Eric said looking at his daughter knowing this transfusion won't take long at all, and it was vital Miranda got blood ASAP.  
  
Andy watched as Eric inserted another needle into Miranda's arm before doing the same to hers. The familiar pinch in her arm causing her to shut her eyes. It didn't hurt she simply hated watching the needle go in, it always made her cringe. Eric was then connecting the tube to Miranda and not even a second later she was watching as her blood was transferred to Miranda.  
  
"Bound for life." Andy whispered, leaning forward and placing a soft kiss on Miranda's forehead.  
  
"Now it's your turn." Eric said facing his daughter.  
  
Caroline sighed and nodded. This was not going to be fun. She looked at Emily and was grateful when the Brit decided to leave the room. She really didn't want Emily to see her crying like a wuss, that's if she did cry. She hoped she could be strong.  
  
~*~


	9. Chapter 9

~*~

 

_"This is an Emergency Action Termination. The annual Purge is over, all police services have been dispatched to arrest the Purge participants, there is massive damage to The United States, this concludes the final operation of the a Emergency Alert System. We now switch back to the Emergency Broadcast System. This is the Emergency Alert System guide, Scansoft Tom, signing off, the Emergency Alert System will now cease operations."_

 

_Andy breathed a sigh of release at those words that came through the speakers from the headset she wore as the helicopter landed on top of the best medical center in Manhattan to help treat Miranda and Caroline's further needs._

 

_The medical team from the hospital having been on standby for this very moment of the bombardment of patients came into sight as they began speaking in their medical lingo which made no sense to her as she had to regretfully drop her hand from Miranda's limp one that she'd been holding tightly as the stretcher was taken out of the helicopter and she watched as the professionals disappeared with the love of her life. "No!" she gasped, lurching forward. "I need to be with her, to be by her side, she can't be alone!"_

 

_Eric stopped her. "I understand that you have all these feelings for her, Andy, I really do but you need to let them do their job. I will have them come to you as soon as they have Miranda in a much more stable condition."_

 

_Andy stopped her movement, sitting back down in the seat, sighing as tears fell down her face._

 

_"Can you do that for me?" Eric asked._

 

_Andy nodded. "Yes." She whispered, but hated being without Miranda, she had no idea what she would do if she lost her newfound lover._

 

_"Good." Eric said, looking to Caroline. "Right, it's time for you to be seen to further also."_

 

_Caroline nodded, and hand clasped tightly with Cassidy's, both sisters exited the helicopter but not before Caroline looked back longingly at Emily who nodded at her, motioning for her to go and mouthing that she was okay._

 

_When in actual fact Emily Charlton was not at all okay and as soon as the Priestly's and Andy disappeared it was then she allowed herself to break down._

**Present Time**  
  
The doctor led Andy down a long hall and through glass doors before stopping in front of room 210. Emily and Eric had opted to stay behind in the waiting room downstairs because they didn't feel like it was their place to come up, not yet anyway, as Andy and Miranda needed this moment alone.  
  
"Miranda will be very groggy for a few hours, but we are very happy with the way she is recovering." The doctor said.  
  
Andy stopped at the end of Miranda's hospital bed. Her hand went up to her mouth when she saw how pale and worn out Miranda looked. She stepped closer and saw that Miranda was stripped from most of her make-up. She reached out and gently took Miranda's hand softly squeezing it.  
  
"I am so, so sorry. Had I just stayed away you wouldn't be in this condition." Andy whispered as she sat down in the empty chair beside the bed, cradling Miranda's hand like it was the most precious jewel.  
  
"Last night had been the most amazing night in my entire life and now seeing you like this and knowing it's my fault I don't know how I can live knowing I caused this." she continued, rubbing Miranda's hand back and forth with the pads of her index and middle fingers.  
  
The brunette felt tears falling down her cheeks.  
  
"I never picked you to be the melodramatic type."  
  
Andy looked up from where she had rested her head and saw Miranda staring at her.  
  
"You need to get those silly thoughts out of that pretty head right this instant." Miranda said.  
  
Andy closed her eyes when Miranda raised her hand and wiped her tears away. She blinked trying to rid her eyes of said tears, and through her blurry watery eyes she stared into Miranda's gorgeous blue eyes. "You aren't angry?" she whispered.  
  
Miranda raised an eyebrow and shook her head. She shook her head and thought how ridiculously stupid Andrea's question had been. "Why on earth would I be angry with you?" the older woman asked whilst tracing her fingers over Andrea's left cheek until her arm started to feel too weak. "I don't think I could ever be angry with you."  
  
It was Andy's turn to raise an eyebrow now. "Even after I left you in Paris without an assistant?" she asked finding it hard to believe that the Runway Editor hadn't even felt an inkling of anger.  
  
"Annoyed? Yes. Disappointed? Yes. Maine disappointed in myself for pushing you away when I saw so much potential for you at Runway. Angry? No. I am angry right now, but not with you. Angry at that lunatic cook ex-boyfriend of yours thinking he could take me out of the picture like that. He will get what’s coming to him, I promise you that, Andrea." Miranda said, but as soon as she said those words she saw Andrea visibly stiffen. "What’s wrong?"  
  
"I took care of Nate." Andy said and as soon as Miranda heard those words she knew what Andrea meant. "He couldn't have gotten away with what he did to you, and all the things he did to me." the brunette added knowing that this would be the moment of truth of whether or not Miranda would be so freaked out that she decided to not be with her anymore. Andy hoped not, but she honestly wouldn't blame the older woman if she decided to run away.  
  
"If you hadn't done it I would have." Miranda simply said breaking the silence that had fallen over them.  
  
Andy breathed a sigh of relief, but still voice her fears. "I wouldn't blame you if you decided to run for the hills."  
  
Miranda frowned. "Now where would all the fun be in that?" she murmured, lifting up Andrea's hand and placing a soft kiss on top of it. "Have more faith in me, Andrea."  
  
"I do, honestly, but the way we have gotten together has been quite messy so you can't blame me for freaking out thinking that you might want to walk away." Andy responded.  
  
"The thought of running away never crossed my mind. Last night was absolutely wonderful and none of this..." Miranda waved the hand without the cannula down her body to where it all felt like it was on fire and she would pass out from the pain at any minute, but pushed through said pain with that strong facade of hers. "Has deterred my thoughts on being with you."  
  
"You're amazing, you know that, right?" Andy questioned, smiling, and continuing. "Being with you last night, seeing you opening yourself up to me, that was one of the greatest gifts. You blow my mind, and still in this moment, leave me speechless by how perfect you are to me."  
  
Miranda smiled back at Andrea, her heart fluttering.  
  
"I can also see you're in a lot of pain." Andy simply said.  
  
Miranda shook her head and waved a dismissive hand. "Oh please, it's just... I don't know... Slight discomfort. Nothing I can't han-" she stopped then and groaned when a sharp stab of pain hit her out of nowhere.  
  
Andy raised an eyebrow. "You don't have to keep this facade up around me anymore, Priestly, I know you and I can see how much pain you're in." she said and stood. "Now stay put and don't try to move, I'm going to find a nurse to see about getting your dosage upped."  
  
"And how on earth could I go anywhere without ripping my stitches?" Miranda asked with a huff.  
  
"Just hold tight, okay babe? I won't be long." Andy said and began to turn around when Miranda's hand encircled her wrist.  
  
"Andrea?" Miranda asked.  
  
Andy turned back around and looked down at her lover.  
  
"No one’s ever called me babe before." Miranda said.  
  
Andy bit her lip knowing that term of endearment might bother Miranda.  
  
"And you have no idea how happy that makes me being your babe." Miranda continued. "It's only been one night we've spent together, romantically, but I've never felt more loved."  
  
Andy smiled, and couldn't believe her luck of having captured Miranda Priestly's heart.  
  
Before Miranda could blush, say something more or wave Andrea away for the nurse Andrea's mouth was on hers kissing her hard and passionately in a way no one has ever kissed her before. The kiss left her breathless until the point she was hissing in pain and gripping Andrea's shoulders. "I'm in agony, Andrea." she whispered in defeat and felt tears she could not stop fall down her cheeks.  
  
"I'll go get someone." Andy said and was out of the room in a flash as Miranda's groans of pain got louder.  
  
~*~  
  
**An hour later.**  
  
Miranda was fast asleep when they brought Caroline into the room situating her opposite Miranda's bed. Caroline wanted to be closer to her mom and knew that Miranda would want the same thing.  
  
"Thank you." Both Caroline and Andy said to the nurse and a few seconds later Eric and Cassidy entered with duffle bags filled with clothes and bathroom toiletries for both Priestly's which reminded Andy that she would need to change clothes before Miranda woke again as her clothes were still stained with her lovers blood, and jeans that she had been wearing for two days now and underneath she had to go commando because her panties had been ruined and going pantie-less in such a place felt highly inappropriate.  
  
"How’s mom?" Cassidy asked, breaking through Andy's thoughts.  
  
"Your mom was in quite a lot of pain earlier, but thankfully the morphine has kicked in and she's able to sleep now. They reckon she'll be sleeping a lot for the next few days." Andy responded. "But the good news is that she's going to be okay and that's all that matters."  
  
Both Caroline and Cassidy smiled widely at that.  
  
"Your mom has always been a fighter." Eric said before leaning down and kissing Caroline's forehead and doing the same to Cassidy who had situated herself quite comfortably next to her sister. "I'll be back tomorrow morning so please be on your best behavior until then."  
  
"Yes, Dad." Caroline and Cassidy chorused, but Andy noticed a twinkling gleam in both of their eyes. Oh, she was most definitely going to have to keep a stern eye on them tonight.  
  
Eric said his goodbyes before leaving for work.  
  
"Has Emily come by?" Caroline questioned.  
  
Andy shook her head. "Not since earlier, but I think she said something about coming back later tonight."  
  
"Cool, thanks." Caroline said before she and Cassidy started talking quietly among themselves so with that Andy wandered back over to the empty chair beside Miranda and sat down taking her lovers hand back into her own and before she knew it she had dosed off.  
  
~*~  
  
**The Next Day.  
  
2:30PM.**  
  
It had been a long and painful day for Miranda in and out of sleep with Andy by her side doing anything she could to help ease Miranda's pain. Mostly she just talked to Miranda, read the newspaper to her, and fed her ice chips because there wasn't much else she could do and she hated seeing Miranda in this state. All the brunette could do was pray that tomorrow wouldn't be as bad.  
  
~*~  
  
  
**Five hours later.  
  
That Night. 7:30PM**  
  
Caroline looked up when she saw a shadow in the door way. In her sleepy state she thought it must have been a nurse, but then when the person moved a smile crossed Caroline's face when she saw Emily enter the room. She watched Emily look over at her mom’s bed where Miranda was sleeping.   
  
Emily rounded the bed and quietly took a seat in the vacated chair. "I'm sorry I haven't come by until now, but after everything that happened I needed time to calm down."   
  
Caroline nodded. "You don't have to apologies, I understand, it was a freaky situation. I didn't sleep much at all. Moms lucky she's being given so much morphine to knock her out."   
  
Emily hummed her agreement and they were silent for a few seconds until Emily broke it. "How are you feeling?" she questioned, hands nervously wringing together.   
  
"Never been better." Caroline responded, sensing Emily's nerves.  
  
"Good." Emily nodded. "That's good."  
  
Caroline also nodded, and they fell silent again. She tapped Emily's hand and watched as the older red head looked at her. "I know what you're thinking, and you don't have to say anything." she softly said.  
  
Emily opened her mouth, but closed it again. She didn't know what she should say or do.  
  
"I know what you're thinking, and what you think you should say, but there's no need for it." Caroline said, took a deep breath, and dived right in. "First you're wondering if you've ever done anything to let me think that you're interested in me, well that would be a firm no. As soon as I saw you that day in Runway I knew there was something special about you, that’s why Cassidy and I never pranked you, I'm sure you wondered why that was."  
  
Emily nodded. "Until I figured it all out."  
  
After the first poem. Caroline thought, but did not say. "These feelings I have, it's all me, and I know you wouldn't feel the same way, and that the only reason you touched my hand in the car this morning was to try and comfort me as I was getting worked up. I'm not delusional to think that we could be together. Well, not right now, anyway." she said with a cheeky grin.  
  
Emily chuckled softly hoping to not wake Miranda. The last thing she needed was for her boss to hear all of this, but it was a conversation she and Caroline needed to have.  
  
"I will always live on hope when it comes to you and I." Caroline confessed softly.  
  
Emily shook her head. "I don't know why you like me so much, I'm not all what you think you see in me."   
  
Caroline shrugged. "I can't help it. I see something in you."  
  
"Even though I know I shouldn't say this, but I can see something in you too." Emily confessed. "I've had far more intelligent conversations with you than I've had with people my own age."   
  
Caroline chuckled. She had always thought Emily thought did or else the Brit wouldn't have stopped to have quick chats with her all those evenings in the townhouse hall way when she dropped off the mock-up of Runway Magazine or the nights after the Purge began and Emily would frequently come around to the house for dinner and whilst her mom was working on the book she and Emily would sit in the table and talk for a bit until she had to go.  
  
"I just wish you weren't so bloody young." Emily said, cutting through Caroline's thoughts.  
  
Caroline watched as Emily quickly looked over at her mom in alarm as if the editor had heard. She chuckled softly. "Don't worry, she's been sleeping like a log all afternoon."  
  
"Andrea told me she had a bad night." Emily said. "It's good to see the pain killers have finally worked on her."  
  
"Yeah, they had to up her dosage." Caroline said.   
  
"Not surprising." Emily said knowing that even Advil never worked for Miranda.   
  
"But back to our conversation." Caroline said, and continued. "When I'm eighteen be ready to be courted."  
  
Emily chuckled and blushed. "Courted? No one’s ever used that word towards me before."  
  
Caroline shrugged. "You deserve to be treated like a Princess." she said, and blushed what she knew would be a deep shade of red. She cleared her throat. "But I'm sure you'll be taken by then."  
  
"Who knows, but the way I see it, is if it's meant to be then it'll happen someday." Emily responded.   
  
Caroline smiled and dared to reach out and place her hand atop Emily's and squeezed it softly. "I suppose you're right." she murmured. Positive thinking. She said to herself. "Thanks for being so cool about all this."  
  
"Contrary to what people think I can be extremely cool about lots of things." Emily said.  
  
"I'm sure you can be." Caroline said. They had a lot in common, and she had seen Emily's private side only a couple of times. She couldn't wait to someday break down that wall and show Emily what true happiness feels like.  
  
"Oh, and ah, you should have these back." Emily said, taking out a small box that had the Eiffel Tower on the lid. "The poems you somehow always managed to slip me." she softly said, placing the box on Caroline's lap mindful of her injured left thigh. "I did read a couple, they're very well done and you definitely know how to make a girl feel wanted, but I couldn't read any more than three because it didn't feel right."  
  
Caroline nodded her understanding and gripped the box. She was so thankful that Emily wasn't treating her like a kid and making her feel embarrassed by all of this even if she was humouring her with the suggestion that they could someday be together.   
  
"I also didn't think it was right for me to keep them so I want you to have them for now, and maybe someday I can read them when you aren't fourteen." Emily said.  
  
Caroline's cheeks were still flushed and her heart was thumping. "Yeah, maybe." she said, smiling, trying to keep her hands from shaking.   
  
Emily nodded, and touched Caroline's hand before quickly drawing it back. "I should go."   
  
"Of course, it's getting late." Caroline said.  
  
"Um, I'll..." Emily trailed off.  
  
"See you around." Caroline said.   
  
"Yes, right, of course." Emily said, and with that picked up her Gucci handbag and gave Caroline one last look before leaving the room cursing at herself and at Miranda and Eric's genes for making such gorgeous daughters who looked older than their actual age. Keep it together, Charlton! She said to herself and walked briskly and quickly down the hall way towards the bay of elevators. She needed a big glass of red wine.  
  
~*~  
  
Caroline breathed in deeply, and let it out shakily.   
  
"Are you alright?"   
  
Caroline jumped and sighed when she looked across the room and saw her mom wide awake. "I assume you heard all of that?"   
  
Miranda nodded. "I'm sorry, but I did hear most of it, I couldn't not hear it. This room is very small."   
  
Caroline sighed again.  
  
"So, are you alright?" Miranda asked again.  
  
Caroline shrugged. "I suppose. I mean, it was obvious nothing could happen."  
  
Miranda nodded her agreement. This was the first time they were speaking of Caroline's crush on Emily and she was glad they were finally discussing it.   
  
"I'm not heartbroken or anything." Caroline said, sniffling.  
  
Miranda raised an eyebrow. "You're allowed to me upset."   
  
"I'm not, I just have something in my eye." Caroline said.  
  
"Come over here." Miranda said, holding out her hand that didn't have the cannula and needle stuck in it.   
  
Caroline quietly got up, crutches under both arms, and hobbled over to Miranda and carefully got onto the bed and laid next to her mom. "I shouldn't have given her those poems, it made it even more awkward, but it seemed like such a good idea at the time."  
  
"Emily didn't seem awkward about it. She was flattered, and the way she handled it has made me very impressed. I was honestly afraid she was going to handle it all differently. I now feel bad that I doubted her." Miranda said as she ran her hand back and forth across her daughter’s forehead.   
  
"A lot of people doubt her sincerity when she acts the way she does at work, but I've seen a different side of her, Mom." Caroline said.  
  
Miranda nodded. "I don't doubt that one bit. I've seen part of her private side too, but most of the time she was far too nervous with me."  
  
"You don't think she had a crush on you, do you?" Caroline asked, nose scrunched up.  
  
"Definitely not." Miranda said and laughed when her daughter let out a relieved sigh. "Emily always had eyes for Serena."  
  
"Now the bitch broke her heart." Caroline said angrily. She wouldn't be able to look at Serena the same way anymore.  
  
Miranda let the language slide as she saw Caroline cringe afterwards. "You can't jump to conclusions when you don't have the full story." she softly said.  
  
Caroline sighed. "I suppose you're right, but I still don't like her anymore."  
  
Miranda rolled her eyes as her daughters fell shut.   
  
"Do you think Emily and I could have a future some day?" Caroline asked with a hopeful tone.  
  
"In this life I think anything is possible." Miranda said. "And I won't mind if you and Emily become a couple, but when you're of the appropriate age." she said, and was extremely thankful that Emily wasn't someone who could get passed the young age and lure Caroline into her life when her daughter was far too young for a relationship like that with a woman of Emily's age.   
  
The Runway Editor not only has read stories about that happening, but had school friends who when they were fourteen, entered into relationships with men sometimes even older than Emily so to have a mature daughter who knew that wasn't morally right and a former assistant who saw it the same way had Miranda breathing a sigh of relief. The one thing Miranda had always feared was someone coming into her daughters lives and taking away their innocence when they were still so young.  
  
"You wouldn't mind Emily and I got together?" Caroline asked, looking up at her mother.  
  
"Not at all, but again only when you're eighteen." Miranda responded, leaning down and kissing her daughters forehead when she saw the ecstatic smile on Caroline's face. Oh, the life of a love sick teenager.   
  
**Two Days Later.  
  
7:35PM.**  
  
Miranda awoke from a peaceful sleep. The pain was non-existent at the moment because the morphine was working wonderfully. However soon she knew she would be needing to ween herself off of the strong painkiller so she can start working on getting out of here. She blinked and rubbed the sleepy gunk out of her eyes and looked around the room. Her eyes widened when she took in dozens upon dozens of candles that filled the room with her favourite, wonderful, scent of Vanilla and Coconut, and her favourite music Mozart was softly playing and when she turned her head to the left she saw a beautiful bouquet of yellow roses on the bedside table next to her and across from her on the table next to the flat screen TV (which had been especially brought in for her because she secretly loves watching  _Project Runway_  and  _Top Model_.) was a brilliant arrangement of purple and white Orchid's, her third favourite flower.  
  
Miranda's curiosity of what this was all about was starting to drive her insane because her patience was wearing. She had been about to buzz in one of the nurses just as the door to her room opened. She saw Andrea walking in. "What's all this?"  
  
"It's Thursday and I seem to recall you asking me out on a date." Andy murmured as she leaned down and pecked Miranda on the mouth. "And because you're unable to go out I thought I'd bring the date to you."   
  
Miranda remained in quiet contemplation was she stared at the brunette beauty.   
  
Andy bit her lip. "I hope that's alright?" she questioned.  
  
The older woman noticed Andrea suddenly looking nervous and held out a hand. "Come here."  
  
Andy took Miranda's hand and sat on the side of the bed. She instantly noticed that the older woman had tears in her eyes. "Don't cry. Oh god, I didn't want to make you cry."  
  
Miranda smiled as her tears flowed freely. Andrea was the only other person, aside from her daughters that the Runway Editor knew she could truly be emotionally open with. "No one’s ever done anything like this for me before."   
  
"What, have your new lover’s crazed ex-boyfriend shoot you in the abdomen then have said lover show up in your hospital room a few days later for a date?" Andy questioned.  
  
Miranda started laughing then, but that was instantly a bad idea as she groaned. "Ooooh." she muttered as her hand rested on the bandages on her lower stomach.   
  
"Sorry." Andy said, cringing, before smiling sheepishly at her lover.  
  
Miranda squeezed the brunette’s hand. "It’s okay." she whispered and smiled as she looked into Andrea's sparkling eyes. "I love how easily you make me smile and laugh."  
  
"I'm glad I can do that for you." Andy replied and stroked Miranda's hand that she clasped and looked down at the other woman’s hand that was placed gingerly atop her bandages through her nightgown. "How are you feeling?" she asked. She hadn't seen Miranda since two nights ago when the Runway Editor ordered her to go home so that Andrea could get a proper nights rest because she had been looking like she was ready to collapse. The brunette had begrudgingly left which had been a good idea. She'd had a quick shower before collapsing into bed for twelve hours straight. When she woke up she had called Miranda, but her lover had been sleeping, so she had decided to get some work done. She had written for a couple of hours and when she realised the time she knew it was too late to head to the hospital and that Miranda would be sleeping anyways so decided to wait until morning, but then Greg called her into work and she had been given a new assignment that she had to attend to for most of the day and whilst she was heading back to her apartment to get dressed to see Miranda she got the brilliant idea to bring the date to Miranda and then some.  
  
"Much better. I reckon I can go home soon." Miranda replied.  
  
Andy smirked. She was glad to see her Miranda back after having been incredibly drained, sleepy and not very chatty these last four days. Miranda's colour in her face was back to normal also replacing the awful pale that had been there until today.   
  
"The girls begged me to let them stay home from school when I get out of here so they can look after me.  
  
Andy chuckled. "That's cute." she replied. "Emily has already arranged all of that for you so that when you arrive home you don't have to worry about anything."  
  
"Emily's not even my assistant anymore and yet she's still bending over backwards for me, trying to prove something." Miranda said. "She's like family."  
  
Andy nodded. It was obvious that’s how Miranda saw Emily. She had been about to reply when there was a knock on the door before her ma came inside with a tray of food.  
  
Miranda's stomach grumbled loudly and she flushed in slight embarrassment. "Hospital food is far from filling because most of the time I rarely eat the crap." she said. "Do they know you're doing this?" she asked waving her hand towards the deliciously smelling trays of food.  
  
Andy nodded. "I asked one of the nicer nurses and he's letting it slide, but it's only something light, not too heavy."  
  
"That's alright." Miranda replied. "I'm not in the mood for anything too heavy. Whatever that is it smells heavenly."  
  
"We have a hearty steak and vegetable soup followed by a small serving of silver-side and mashed potato and peas." Andy said as she revealed the first bowl of soup.  
  
"Mmmm, god, that looks divine!" Miranda said, breathing in the aroma. She looked back to Kate. "Thank you so much for this." she murmured.  
  
"You're more than welcome." Andy said. "It's the least I can do after you allowed me into your bunker."   
  
"Thank you, Andrea, for planning this. It's all so beautiful."   
  
"Wait until you try the dessert." Andy commented with a smirk.   
  
Miranda raised her eyebrow. "Oh, do tell what it is?"  
  
"Marshmallow and chocolate mousse." Andy said. "My Ma has done all the cooking for us tonight."  
  
Miranda practically drooled at that. "I won't be able to thank your mother enough for cooking us all of this."  
  
"She suggested it." Andy said as she stood from the bed, but not before Miranda pulled her down for a soft, slow kiss. "Mmm." she hummed.   
  
"Indeed." Miranda responded, heart fluttering wildly in her chest. She then watched as Andrea rounded the bed and sat on the chair beside her and used the empty tray in the corner of the room as her table.   
  
"Thank you for not freaking out about all of this." Andy said waving a hand around the room and to Miranda's wound. "I got so worried that you would have decided this was all too much for you and the twins to deal with, but here you are, still wanting me."  
  
"Like I told you the other day, darling, none of this was your fault, and I don't regret bringing you to the bunker with us. Not one ounce of regret." she said firmly, looking Andrea in her beautiful brown eyes. "I had been wanting to reach out to you for so long now, but I never knew how I should go about doing that, and if you'd even want a friendship or whatever else with the Devil in Prada.  
  
"Well now you know that I want more than just friendship with you, gorgeous." Andy said, eyes sparkling and heart fluttering. "I want to be your best friend, your lover, and your partner in crime." she said, winking at Miranda.  
  
"I have a feeling there’s something more to that." Miranda said.  
  
"Oh, you guessed it." Andy responded.  
  
"Do tell." Miranda said as she slurped some more soup. "This really is divine."   
  
Andy chuckled. "My ma will be thrilled to know that." she said before answering Miranda's question. "I may have found a way to get rid of Irv Ravitz off your back, and out of Elias-Clarke, for good."   
  
"Now you have me extremely interested." Miranda said. "Very interested."   
  
"But for now, I'd love to concentrate on just you and I because there’s plenty of time for us to talk about Irv." Miranda continued.  
  
Andy smiled widely. "I love the sounds of that." she responded and grasped Miranda's hand. "I have something I'd like to say."   
  
Miranda raised her eyebrows when she noticed Andrea's hands were slightly shaking and her breathing was a little fast. Her lover was nervous and Miranda had no idea why that would be.   
  
"Nearly losing you again was absolutely horrifying. A life without you in it is a life not worth living. I don't ever want to be apart from you again." Andy said.  
  
Miranda nodded and squeezed Andrea's hand. "I agree wholeheartedly with you, darling." the older woman began, continuing. "Ever since you left Runway, left me, my life was never the same, there was always something about you and you left this massive hole when you walked away, but I know that I was mostly to blame for that. I should have told you about the Jacqueline Follet and Nigel scheme because after all I did trust you, I do trust you, but I knew if I went there with you that I'd be crossing an invisible line, opening up to you about my fears of losing Runway, that it would mean something more, something that I wasn't yet ready to contemplate; my attraction to you. I kept telling myself it was the fashionable clothes on you complimenting your flawless face and deliciously curvy body, and up until last night I never allowed to let myself ponder on my attraction thinking I'd be a stupid old fool to even dare dream that you would share my feelings."  
  
Andy smiled at this. "Oh, I do, and have for so long now even before Paris if I am completely honest with myself."  
  
Miranda smiled also. "I really want to be with you, darling, but are you honestly sure you're ready for what that entails?" she questioned.  
  
"I am more than ready. I have been ready to be with you for a long time, but also never allowed myself to dream it could be reality. I've been living in a very bleak and sad world since Paris. I knew I shouldn't have walked away, but I didn't know how I could fix it, and honestly I was still too naive to have been able to handle coming back. Walking away helped me grow into the person I am today, and getting the job at Runway helped me start becoming this woman, you gave me that gentle nudge without even knowing it."  
  
The Runway Editor had definitely been able to see Andrea changing and growing, but she had been worried if it was for the better or for the worst because she had seen too many young women walk in and out of Runway as a completely different person and not always in a good way. Miranda could never tell if it had been partly her fault for treating them so coldly and pushing them to their limits. She supposed she would never know so it was great to hear that she had helped Andrea positively grow.  
  
"And then the whole Nate thing started and that made me feel like trash and I couldn't get out of the rut he put me in. I tried writing to you many times, but always doubted you'd respond and simply laughed in my face at my pathetic grovelling so I always deleted the emails and told myself it was better that way, but seeing you last night brought back all those lovely memories of you and always being by your side and it made me realise that fate is a real thing." Andy paused then to run a hand through her hair out of her face and collect her thoughts for what she wanted to say next. "I know that we are meant to be together and that I can be your equal no matter what other people will say. Sure this is very rushed between us, but I don't care, because the way I see it we've already been apart for too long, and now that I've been given this second chance I don't want to stuff it up and I don't want anyone or anything getting in the way again. I want you to know that I am one hundred percent all in." The brunette said and with that pulled out a small box from the pocket inside her blazer. She took a deep breath, saw Miranda's eyes widen, and pushed on hoping that Miranda's reaction would be the one she wanted, the one she had been dreaming of. "I want it all. The ex-husbands, the children and their teenage problems and all the tantrums and first relationships and heartbreak. Runway and the crazy schedule and late night booty calls at the office." At that Andy winked at her lover who had raised eyebrows and a smirk hinting on her lips. "I want to experience and share all of that and so much more with you, Miranda, but mostly I just want all of you. The good, the bad, the bitchy, the sweet. I'm in love with you babe and I want to be with you for as long as possible. So, Miranda Priestly..." She paused and opened up the box she held. "Will you marry me?   
  
It was very rare for Miranda Priestly to become speechless because there weren't many people out there who could bring her to that state, but it seemed Andrea had the knack for it. First time being their first night together and Andrea making her speechless by kissing her and driving her to an incredible climax, and then tonight asking the hard assed Runway Editor to be her wife. Who would have thought?! Miranda definitely never thought she would marry again. Especially not to such a young, bright, and intelligent young woman who was strangely head over heels for her.   
  
Miranda's hand covered her mouth as she looked from the ring to Andrea's beautiful brown eyes. She nodded. "Yes." she said and with that one word Andrea's face lit up. "Yes, I want to marry you." she added still shocked at the luck she had been given.  
  
"But you know you're completely crazy right?" Miranda began to speak again. "Marrying the woman who's had two failed marriages. That says so much. I am hard work, Andrea, I don't make things easy and I'm forever complicating everything."  
  
Andy shrugged. "I am known to complicate things also, but the way I see it, is that we've already seen each other at our worsts and I firmly believe we can get through any obstacles that are thrown our way, and I know you Miranda and at the end of the day I know you don't mean to be the Runway bitch, especially not towards me." the brunette said. "I remember the first day I walked out of your office crying because you were disappointed with how I had failed you, and I saw in your eyes that you didn't mean everything you said, that it had hurt you to see me crying."   
  
Miranda nodded. "You're right. I was hurt by how I hurt you because it wasn't your fault I couldn't get out of Miami, but that's the kind of woman I am, Andrea, I take my annoyance and impatience out on others just like if I get humiliated I take my anger out on those around me. I can't help it, it's how I've always been, and I can't change who I am and I just hope I never severely hurt you with my words. I know I did this to my husbands, and I would hate myself if that day ever came and I hurt you. You're taking a big chance on me."  
  
Again Andy shrugged. "I know we can't promise each other we won't get hurt. It could be around the other way, I could do or say something that hurts you, but we don't know what the future holds. If we maintain communication and don't go to bed angry at each other then we shouldn't have any major problems together. I firmly believe we can make this happen."  
  
"Not to mention there's the whole fame side of things." Miranda said. "Being Miranda Priestly's lesbian lover will mean the end of your outside life because once you step out of the comfort of our home you will have cameras in your face wherever you go. You've seen what they have been like with Stephen, and if you googled Eric and I it would be even worse because of the court case of trying to get custody of the girls. The paparazzi are ruthless. They're horrid. Personally I believe they're who killed Princess Diana."   
  
"I agree with you on the latter." Andy said. "But with the rest of what you're saying, your fears of how I am going to handle things, well I am going to use the words what you said to me. You need to have more faith in me, babe, because I've already been in the spotlight behind you and sure I know that's different, and they're going to be worse when we come out about this, but I know I have what it takes to handle it."  
  
"Good." Miranda said. "I just don't want you to end up resenting me for what is going to turn your life upside down."  
  
"Trust in me when I say I am ready for this and I can handle it, and if something bothers me we will talk about it, and see what we can do to fix it." Andy replied.  
  
Miranda nodded. "Alright then, well that's settled. I'm going to be your wife." she said, and with that Andrea slid the ring onto her finger. She stared at it in awe. "Where'd you get it from, it looks very vintage?"  
  
  
Andy smiled. "It was my great-grandmothers, and she gave it to me the day she died."  
  
Miranda stared at it and then to Andrea. "She definitely sounded like a wonderful woman."  
  
"She really was, and secretly I think I was her favourite of all us great grandchildren." Andy responded.  
  
"How many cousins do you have?" Miranda asked.  
  
"Back then it was me, Harrison, Billy, Trevor and Chrystal. Now we have Madeline and Kane, and of course my lovely siblings, Dylan and Pippa." Andy explained.  
  
"Do you all get along?" Miranda asked curiously.  
  
"Oh yeah, definitely, we all catch up whenever we are all in town." Andy said.   
  
Miranda smiled. "Sounds lovely."   
  
"Now you'll get to experience my crazy little family someday soon, I hope." Andy said.  
  
Miranda nodded. "We will have to plan a trip before the busy time of Runway begins." she replied before motioning for Andrea to come closer. "Kiss me." she murmured.  
  
Andy did so, over and over again.   
  
Andy smiled and began kissing Miranda again.   
  
"I'm incredibly lucky that you're putting so much faith and chance on me." Miranda said knowing all too well how difficult she could be. "It's going to be challenging, but worth it."  
  
"Definitely, and I know it's not going to be a smooth journey, but I don't care. This feels right and that’s all that matters." Andy said.  
  
"Does your mother know?" Miranda questioned. "I mean, I know she made this dinner for me, but does she know why?"  
  
Andy nodded. "Yes, I told her, and even though she's afraid that it's too soon, and you have two divorces under your belt, she trusts my instincts and can see how much you care for me. I suppose what I'm saying is that she's putting a lot of trust in you that you won't hurt me."  
  
"I am going to do my best to not do that, Andrea." Miranda said. She had never put much effort into her previous marriages because she had never truly wanted to be with them in the first place, but did so because it was what she thought she had to do, but now fourty eight years old she was doing the complete opposite of what she has always done. She's putting herself all into the relationship, her heart and soul, and trusting that Andrea wouldn't break her because Andrea was the only person Miranda knew that could do just that.  
  
"I love you so much." Miranda said.   
  
Andy's heart fluttered. "I can't wait to marry you."   
  
"Me neither. Thank you for giving me the honor of being able to be your wife someday." Miranda said.  
  
"Mmmm, thank you for saying yes, I wasn't sure how you were going to react seeing as we've only been together for five days." Andy said.  
  
"That didn't even cross my mind, darling, because honestly I've always done what was expected and what was "normal" and so this time, I'm not listening to any of that anymore. I'm doing what makes me happy and that’s you. We can be this work, I'm sure of it."  
  
At that they both smiled widely and leaned in, kissing each other hard with desire.  
  
"You make me so wet, Miranda, I wish you could feel how much." Andy whispered in between kisses, feeling her desire for Miranda pool between her legs.  
  
"Get on top of me." Miranda practically demanded.   
  
Andy's eyes widened. "Are you sure? I don't want to hurt you."  
  
Miranda shook her head. "You won't. Just do what I say."   
  
Andy smirked. "Alright." she said, "no need to get snappy now."   
  
Miranda chuckled. "Mmm." she murmured as she kissed Andrea again before her lover moved and carefully situated herself on top of her, legs either side of her body, and making sure she wasn't touching the bandage around Miranda's abdomen. "I want my fingers inside of you."   
  
Andy moaned at those words and felt herself grow wetter, and she looked down and was about to help Miranda unbutton her jeans, but didn't even have the chance because she watched as Miranda expertly unbuttoned said pants with one hand. "Wow. Impressive."  
  
Miranda smirked. "Something I learnt over the years." she responded.   
  
"Well, it's kinda hot." Andy said, winking, and gasped when she felt the palm of Miranda's hand slide into her panties. Okay, so apparently there wasn't going to be any teasing above the panties, her lover was diving straight in tonight.   
  
"I hope you don't mind, but my patience these last few days is very slim, I can't wait for this." Miranda murmured as she began running her fingers through Andrea's wet folds. She hummed when Andrea moaned in delight, eyes fluttering, but managed to stay open.  
  
Their eyes connected.  
  
"I don't mind one bit." Andy whispered and softly moaned when Miranda stopped to play with her clit. "Oh god." she whispered, burying her head into Miranda's neck, kissing and licking, and moaning trying her damned hardest to not be too noisy and to not push down onto Miranda's hand which would cause her lovers hand to push onto her injury.  
  
Miranda rubbed Andrea's clit for a few seconds before moving down her lovers slick and sticky folds before doing what she knew Andrea wanted. She plunged two fingers inside.   
  
Andrea moaned. "Your fingers are divine. You drive me insane, I love it, I love how you make me feel."  
  
Miranda smiled as she watched Andrea's desire pass across her face like an open book. Every time Miranda hit that delicious rough patch with her fingers fully inside, up to her knuckles, Andrea bit her lip.   
  
Miranda massaged that rough patch for a little while before moving her fingers slowly, and teasingly, in and out. She watched as her lovers eyes rolled into the back of her head. She chuckled softly.   
  
"Oh, you're evil." Andy cried into Miranda's shoulder where she dropped her head.  
  
The older woman chuckled some more. "Mmm, and you love it."  
  
"Yes." Andy cried, and moaned. "So much!"  
  
Miranda began pumping her fingers fast and kissing, licking, and nipping at Andrea's neck as her lover began riding her fingers. Her hand hit her bandages a couple times causing her to hiss, but it didn't deter her from her mission on making Andrea climax. "That's it, my darling, let go for me."  
  
And with those words Andrea's body stiffened before shaking as Miranda continued to slowly move her fingers inside of her lover until Andrea slumped down next to her moaning softly as Miranda removed her fingers.   
  
Andy slowly opened her eyes and the sight she was met with made her moan as another flash of arousal shot through her. Her lover was licking her fingers, tasting her sex. "That is so sexy." she commented.  
  
Miranda's eyes fluttered as Andrea's juices hit her tongue. "Mmmm." she hummed. "You taste divine."  
  
Andy moaned and leaned forward beginning to kiss her lover, tasting herself. "You're amazing."  
  
"As are you, darling." Miranda responded and thoroughly kissed her lover.   
  
"I can't wait to marry you." Andy whispered as stared intently into her lover’s eyes. "My one and only. Bound for life."   
  
"Bound for life." Miranda repeated those three amazing words and it was like she could feel Andrea's blood coursing through her, as a spike of arousal shot through her thanks to the way Andrea kissed her and made her crazy with pure ecstasy.  
  
FIN.


End file.
